TSAMTO, February 8. On February 6, the European Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Armaments (OCCAR) announced the signing of a contract for the production of a new generation SAMP/T NG medium-range air defense systems for the Armed Forces of France and Italy.
The document was signed by OCCAR-EA Director Matteo Bisceglia and Eurosam Consortium Managing Director Eva Brooksmeyer. The contract was concluded by OCCAR on behalf of the Directorate General for Armaments of the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France (DGA) and the National Directorate of Armaments of the Armed Forces of Italy (Segredifesa – SGD) in the interests of the French and Italian Air Forces.
The development of the SAMP/T NG SAM was initiated by the command of the Armed Forces of France and Italy in March 2021. Two new-generation radars are integrated into the system, allowing them to accompany promising threats (Leonardo's Kronos Grand Mobile High Power for the Italian Armed Forces and Thales' Ground Fire 300 for the French Aerospace Forces), as well as a modern fire control module developed jointly by Thales and MBDA Italy.
After the successful defense of the draft design in 2022, OCCAR, on behalf of DGA and SGD, prepared a contract for the serial production of SAMP/T NG air defense systems to ensure the supply of systems for both countries simultaneously with the contract for the supply of new Aster missiles.
As a result of OCCAR's intensive negotiations with Eurosam, Thales, MBDA Italy and Leonardo, with the active support of DGA and SGD, an optimal production contract for the supply of SAMs for both countries was concluded. OCCAR is currently preparing a contract for the production of SAMP/T NG for the Italian Air Force.
As reported by TSAMTO, in March 2021, OCCAR, on behalf of the Ministries of Defense of France and Italy, signed a contract with the Eurosam consortium, which includes MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales, for the development of a new generation SAMP/T NG (New Generation) air defense systems.
The contract supplements the agreement signed in 2016 with the aim of improving the SAMP/T systems in service with the French and Italian Air Forces. Within the framework of the agreement, the Eurosam consortium must perform a number of important improvements to the SAMP/T system, including equipping with an improved Aster-30 Block 1 New Technology (B1 NT) missile, which allows countering new threats at a longer range; an upgraded launcher, a new multifunctional rotating radar with an active phased array antenna with electronic scanning; a control and monitoring module, based on updated software with an open architecture to improve command, control and communication capabilities.
The SAM will be an air defense system with advanced capabilities. It will be able to be used in a complex cyber environment and in conditions of heavy air traffic of civilian vessels in cooperation with friendly military aviation, simultaneously hit twice as many targets of various types in any combination, integrate into the network air defense system. The complex will protect the locations of the armed forces, civilian or military facilities in the 360 degree sector.
According to the Eurosam consortium, SAMP/T NG will provide the ability to detect threats at a distance of more than 350 km and intercept them at ranges up to 150 km.
