Italy sends crucial air defense system to bolster Ukraine's defenses

Italian sources reported that the second promised SAMP/T anti-aircraft and anti-missile system battery for Ukraine is on its way. Here, we present this system and its capabilities.

According to the portal Analisi Difesa, the second promised SAMP/T battery intended for Ukraine was supposed to arrive in Poland in the last days of September 2024 and, at most, will reach Ukraine in the coming days. The second SAMP/T battery, gifted by Italy, was deployed in Kuwait as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

This is significant support because the Ukrainians have long run out of missiles for their S-300 systems. Essentially, the only shield against Iskander-M ballistic missiles and aircraft carrying Iskander-M missiles and bombs with UMPK modules are the few systems gifted by the West.

There are too few of these systems compared to the needs, so each battery is worth its weight in gold for the Ukrainians. The new unit will be able to protect another critical infrastructure object, such as a power plant or a section of the front near Pokrovsk.

The SAMP/T anti-aircraft system was developed in cooperation between France and Italy and entered service in 2011. Since then, it has been recognized as one of the most modern systems in the world for air and missile defense, competing with the Patriot on the international market. This system is capable of effectively countering threats such as Iskander-M ballistic missiles.

The key element of the system is the Aster missiles, initially designed for ship defense. Over time, a land launcher for the Aster-30 missile variant was developed, housing eight missiles. Thus, the SAMP/T system was created as a versatile means of air defense. Unlike the Patriot system, SAMP/T features a compact design, allowing it to be transported on several trucks and requiring only 14 soldiers to operate.

Another advantage of the SAMP/T system is its radar, capable of detecting targets in a full 360-degree range, a significant advantage over the Patriot system, which has a detection field of only 120 degrees. To achieve full 360-degree coverage with the Patriot, three radars are needed, at least until the LTAMDS radars are introduced into service (including in Poland).

It's worth noting, however, that the range of the Arabel radar in the SAMP/T is smaller, covering over 62 miles. This drawback was only improved in the latest production model, which has radars with a detection range of up to 249 miles.

The system's missiles can destroy targets at a distance of around 19 miles for ballistic missiles and about 75 miles for aircraft. They are characterized by high speed, reaching Mach 4.5 (3432 feet/second). The target is destroyed using a 33-pound fragmentation warhead. The warhead section is equipped with an active radar head and small maneuvering engines "PIF" to increase hit accuracy in the final phase of flight.

Although it is not as sophisticated a method of eliminating targets as the direct hits used in the PAC-3 MSE missiles, it is sufficiently effective and, more importantly, significantly cheaper. The Ukrainians have been meticulous about hiding information on the activity of the first SAMP/T system battery operating around Odessa, likely due to the supplier's requirements.