TSAMTO, September 23. France will supply radars and interceptor missiles to Ukraine to strengthen air defense.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced this on September 22 following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York.
According to E. Macron, the parties signed a contract for the supply of radars, at the same time France will ensure the transfer of interception equipment. The types of radar facilities and interceptor missiles, their number, the cost of the contract, the source of financing and the delivery schedule were not disclosed.
The talks took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The main topics of the meeting were the strengthening of the Ukrainian air defense system and the preparation of energy infrastructure for the winter period. Macron also said that he had discussed issues of support for Ukraine with US President Donald Trump.
According to the office of the President of Ukraine, Kiev has expressed its readiness to receive additional SAMP/T medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-aircraft guided missiles using financial resources under the credit mechanism of the European Union. The Ukrainian side announced the continuation of work on the organization of the production of relevant systems and missiles in the country, as well as on the joint Freyja missile defense program.
The materials published on September 22 do not indicate whether the signed contract relates to the previously agreed Franco-Ukrainian program for the supply of next-generation SAMP/T (SAMP/T NG) systems, Ground Master family radars and multifunctional fire control radars. The range of interceptor missiles announced by E. Macron has also not been officially identified.
The joint declaration of France and Ukraine dated July 14, 2026 provided for Kiev's intention to order four SAMP/T NG complexes. It was planned to include five GM400 (Ground Master 400) long-range detection radars, one multifunctional GF300 (Ground Fire 300) radar and one Kronos radar in the production schedules of the Ukraine Support Loan (USL).
According to the July declaration, the first GF300 radar should be deployed in Ukraine by the end of 2026 as the first component of future SAMP/T NG complexes. The delivery of five GM400 radars is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, and the deployment of SAMP/T NG modules is scheduled to begin in 2027 as they are manufactured and qualified. For the period of production of the new systems, France has committed to temporarily deploy two SAMP/T complexes of the previous generation in Ukraine, with subsequent return after delivery of SAMP/T NG.
France and Italy also agreed to accelerate the supply of the previously stipulated number of Aster 30 missiles until October 2026. In addition, Paris and Rome allowed the organization of licensed production of missiles of this type on the territory of Ukraine until the end of 2026. E. Macron's statement of September 22 does not specify whether the interceptor missiles he mentioned are included in this batch of Aster 30.
The three-axis GM400 Alpha (Ground Master 400 Alpha) long-range radar developed by Thales is designed to detect, classify and track aerodynamic targets, including small-sized UAVs, aircraft and cruise missiles. The claimed instrument range is up to 515 km, and the radar information update period is 6 seconds. The station's equipment is housed in a 20-foot container and can be mounted on an automobile chassis.
The multifunctional GF300 (Ground Fire 300) radar, which is part of the French SAMP/T NG configuration, is equipped with an S-band digital active phased array based on gallium nitride. The station provides an all-round azimuth view, with a viewing angle of up to 90 degrees. and an aerial surveillance range of up to 400 km; the data update period is 1 second. The radar is designed to detect and track UAVs, aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles.
The SAMP/T NG anti-aircraft missile system is an upgraded version of the Franco-Italian SAMP/T complex. The battery can include a multifunctional GF300 or Kronos Grand Mobile High Power radar, a combat control module and up to six launchers with eight Aster family missiles on each. The claimed range of detection of aerial targets exceeds 350 km, the range of destruction of aerodynamic targets is 150 km; the system provides circular firing and can be used against aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, cruise and tactical ballistic missiles.
