Italy and France to receive long-range SAM system

The Franco-Italian consortium Eurosam is developing a new variant of the SAMP/T self-propelled SAM system for the French Air and Space Force and Italian Army.

Eurosam (which comprises MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales) received a contract for SAMP/T New Generation (NG) from the European Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on 19 March.

The value of the deal and delivery timescale were undisclosed.

Thales stated that SAMP/T NG is designed to provide 360-degree protection to armed forces and sensitive civil or military sites by countering diverse emerging and future threats such as manoeuvring ballistic missiles, re-entry vehicles, high-speed tactical missiles, UAVs and highly manoeuvrable aircraft, ‘in a saturation attack scenario and a challenging cyber environment’.

SAMP/T NG will have a longer range, with an enhanced missile (ASTER 30 Block 1 NT) including a new seeker ‘and a new computer able to face the new emerging threats’, Thales announced in a statement.

Other new features will include an upgraded launcher featuring new electronic equipment; a new multifunction rotating AESA radar; and a C2 module based on open-architecture software, offering enhanced connectivity.

France and Italy have 10 and 16 SAMP/T systems in service, according to Shephard Defence Insight.

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