Today, OCCAR-EA Director Joachim Sucker and eurosam Managing Director Eva Bruxmeier signed the Amendment of the FSAF-PAAMS Sustainment & Enhancement (S&E) contract for the procurement of new generation ground based air defence systems SAMP/T NG for Italian Air Force. This procurement adds to the SAMP/T NG production ordered in January 2023 for the Italian Army and French Air and Space Force.
With this contract, Italian Air Force will be equipped with SAMP/T NG ground-to-air defence capabilities, fitted with the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power radar from Leonardo. SAMP/T NG system development, launched in 2021 in cooperation between France and Italy, is an enhancement of the SAMP/T system in service since 2010 and currently deployed in Europe and in the Middle-East. The SAMP/T NG system is based on:
- An enhanced missile to enlarge the ASTER family: the ASTER Block 1 NT (new technology) from MBDA including a new seeker and a new computer.
- An upgraded launcher.
- A 360-degree new multifunction rotating Active Electronically Scanned Array radar: the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power from Leonardo for Italy and the Ground Fire 300 from Thales for France.
- A common command and control module based on upgraded open command and control software architecture and enhanced connectivity.
With this new technology SAMP/T NG offers a 350 km-plus aerial surveillance range and a 150 km-plus interception range together with a 360-degree protection to armed forces and sensitive civil or military sites. The system might counter emerging and future threats as diverse as hypersonic missiles, manoeuvring ballistic missiles, re-entry vehicle ballistic missiles, high velocity cruise missiles, UAVs and highly manoeuvring aircraft, in a saturation attack scenario and a challenging cyber environment.
Dorothee Frank, Head of editorial team
