By the end of the month, the second long-range surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, SAMP/T, will be in Ukraine.

Rai News reported on this with reference to the words of Italian Defence Minister Guido Crozetto.

‘The new SAMP/T system will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the month, and we know the cost of every minute of delay,’ the Minister stated in his closing speech at the European Air and Missile Defence Trade Conference.

Previous statements

This somewhat contradicts previous statements that the system will be manufactured from scratch for Ukraine rather than being delivered ready-made.

For example, on September 3, 2024, Defence Minister Crozetto stated that the Italian defence industry was disrupting the delivery of the air defence system intended for Ukraine by stopping its work on holidays and weekends.

‘Italy is supposed to supply Ukraine with an air defence system, but the Italian company that will assemble it was closed in August due to holidays, and does not work on Saturday, Sunday and in the evening,’ he said.

At the same time, Italian officials, in particular Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, did not specify where the SAMP/T would come from. They refused to provide details and timeframes for the delivery.

The transfer of the second system was announced on June 11, 2024. This was announced by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine, which took place in Berlin.

‘I would like to inform you that Italy is ready to send a new military package of SAMP/T for Ukraine’s air defence,’ Tajani said at a panel session during the conference.

SAMP/T SAM

The Italian version of the system is based on an Iveco M320 or ACTL HD8 truck. Its battery consists of four self-propelled launchers, a self-propelled radar and a control centre.

SAMP/T can be equipped with Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles.

The Aster 15 missile is capable of intercepting aerodynamic targets at a range of more than 30 km and at an altitude of up to 13 km. Meanwhile, the Aster 30 missile is capable of destroying aerodynamic targets at a range of over 120 km, and the latest NT version is capable of destroying aerodynamic targets at a range of over 150 km and an altitude of up to 20 km. The Aster 30 is also capable of intercepting ballistic targets at a range of up to 25 km.