--- title: "Italy and France Prepare Air Defense Package for Ukraine with Four SAMP/T NG Batteries" description: "Italy and France are preparing a new air defense package for Ukraine: according to media reports, it includes four SAMP/T NG batteries, Aster 30 missiles, and seven long-range radars. Ukraine will become the first country to receive the next-generation system." date: 2026-08-27T08:10:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/italy-france-air-defense-package-samp-t-ng-ukraine tags: [ukraine, air-defense, samp-t, aster-30, italy, france, eurosam] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Italy and France Prepare Air Defense Package for Ukraine with Four SAMP/T NG Batteries ![SAMP/T air defense missile system on a wheeled chassis with raised launcher at a military exhibition — the air defense system Italy and France are preparing for Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/27/italiya-franciya-paket-pvo-samp-t-ng-ukraina/italiya-franciya-paket-pvo-samp-t-ng-ukraina-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - According to Italian media, the new package includes four SAMP/T NG batteries, Aster 30 missiles, and seven long-range radars (six Thales, one Leonardo). - SAMP/T NG provides 360-degree coverage, target detection at a range of over 350 km, and interception of ballistic targets with a range of over 600 km. - Ukraine will become the first country to receive SAMP/T NG; the order for four systems is planned to be financed through the 2026–2027 tranches of the Ukraine Support Loan. - Licensed production of Aster 30 missiles in Ukraine is to begin by the end of 2026; until the new systems are delivered, France will transfer two batteries of the previous generation. Italy and France are preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine, focused primarily on air and missile defense. According to Italian media, it will include four state-of-the-art batteries of the SAMP/T NG surface-to-air missile system, Aster 30 interceptor missiles, and seven long-range radars. Six of these radars are reportedly of French production (Thales), while one is Italian (Leonardo). The Ukrainian side previously stated that Kyiv is to become the first country to receive the SAMP/T system specifically in the new-generation modification. ### What is SAMP/T and how does SAMP/T NG differ SAMP/T is a medium-range ground-based surface-to-air missile system designed to protect key facilities and troops from aerial threats; it uses missiles from the Aster family and has anti-ballistic missile capabilities. The system is developed by the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium, which includes MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and Thales, and is in service with France and Italy. SAMP/T NG, mentioned in reports on the new aid, is the next generation of the system: it features a new radar, new launchers, an updated fire control system, and upgraded missiles. According to the official Eurosam website, SAMP/T NG provides 360-degree coverage and is capable of detecting aerial targets at a range of over 350 km and intercepting them at a range of over 150 km. The consortium also states that the system is able to detect and intercept maneuvering ballistic missiles with a range of over 600 km. A battery consists of a multifunction radar, a command and control module, and up to six launchers; each launcher carries eight missiles, so a single battery can hold up to 48 launch-ready Aster missiles. The system is mobile and can be brought into operational readiness in less than 30 minutes, and is compatible with national air defense networks and NATO and coalition systems. It is important that these specifications apply specifically to SAMP/T NG, not to the first version of the system received by Ukraine in 2023. ### Combat experience and first experience in Ukraine Ukraine received its first SAMP/T battery in May 2023 — its arrival was reported on May 15. In June 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that the system had already been deployed in Ukraine and was carrying out combat missions. To date, according to available data, Ukraine has two SAMP/T batteries transferred by Italy and France. Thus, the earlier modification already has combat experience, whereas SAMP/T NG does not yet have such experience but was developed specifically with new requirements for countering ballistic targets in mind. ### Composition of the new package and financing mechanism According to La Repubblica, the new Italian package provides for the transfer to Ukraine of four SAMP/T NG batteries, Aster 30 interceptor missiles, and seven long-range radars. In turn, the joint declaration of the presidents of Ukraine and France from July 2026 stated that Kyiv intends to order four SAMP/T NG systems, with their financing to be provided through the 2026 and 2027 tranches of the Ukraine Support Loan. For the period of production of the new systems, France will provide Ukraine with two SAMP/T systems of the previous generation, which are to be returned to the French side after the delivery of SAMP/T NG. It was also stated there that France and Italy plan to transfer a portion of the Aster 30 missiles by October, and that licensed production of Aster 30 in Ukraine is to begin by the end of 2026. France also supports the development of Ukrainian anti-ballistic interceptor missiles, in particular the FREYJA project, and will facilitate industrial cooperation between Ukrainian and French companies. ### Contradictory data The sources contain discrepancies that are important to take into account. Italian media (La Repubblica) describe the new package as a direct transfer to Ukraine of four SAMP/T NG batteries together with missiles and radars. At the same time, the official joint declaration of the presidents of Ukraine and France formulates the matter differently: Kyiv intends to *order* four SAMP/T NG systems with financing through the 2026–2027 tranches of the Ukraine Support Loan, and until their production it will receive two systems of the previous generation for temporary use. In other words, this may not be an immediate gratuitous transfer of four next-generation systems, but rather a combination of an order, tranche financing, and a temporary supply of older batteries. In addition, an estimate of the package's cost of around €3 billion appears in some publications but is not confirmed in the text of the main overview or in official declarations, so this figure should be treated as media data rather than an officially recorded amount. ### Context and significance for Ukraine's defense Expanding the air defense fleet is of strategic importance against the backdrop of massive strikes on infrastructure and populated areas. The transition to SAMP/T NG strengthens precisely the anti-missile direction, since the system is designed to intercept maneuvering ballistic targets. At the same time, the Ukrainian side notes that electronics and components made in the United States, Germany, Japan, and other countries have been found in Russian missiles, some of which reach Russia through third countries, making it difficult to control compliance with sanctions. In this context, licensed production of Aster 30 in Ukraine and support for the FREYJA project are seen as steps toward long-term autonomy of the air and missile defense system. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [SAMP/T NG for Ukraine: what is known about the new European air defense system and its capabilities](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/samp-t-ng-ukrayini-shcho-vidomo-novu-evropeysku-1787818062.html) - Основной обзор: состав пакета по данным La Repubblica (4 батареи SAMP/T NG, Aster 30, 7 радаров), характеристики SAMP/T NG по Eurosam, история поставок с мая 2023, лицензионное производство Aster 30 до конца 2026, проект FREYJA. - [Italy to transfer four SAMP/T NG air defense systems and an Aster 30 license to Ukraine](https://zn.ua/war/italija-peredast-ukraine-chetyre-zrk-samp-t-ng-i-litsenziju-na-aster-30.html) - Подтверждает передачу четырех ЗРК SAMP/T NG и лицензию на Aster 30; согласуется с основным текстом по ключевым цифрам. - [Italy preparing €3 billion air defense package for Ukraine - media](https://korrespondent.net/world/4906457-ytalyia-hotovyt-ukrayne-paket-pvo-na-3-mlrd-smy) - Указывает на подготовку пакета ПВО и оценку порядка 3 млрд евро; денежная сумма не подтверждена в основном обзоре и официальных декларациях, поэтому вынесена в раздел противоречивых данных. - [Italy secretly agreed a new aid package for Ukraine](https://from-ua.org/news/702811-italiia-taino-soglasovala-novyi-paket-pomoshhi-ukraine.html) - Сообщает о согласовании нового пакета помощи; согласуется с общей темой, но детали состава основаны на СМИ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What is included in the new aid package from Italy and France? **A:** According to Italian media, the package includes four SAMP/T NG batteries, Aster 30 interceptor missiles, and seven long-range radars — six of French production (Thales) and one Italian (Leonardo). ### Q: How does SAMP/T NG differ from the SAMP/T received by Ukraine in 2023? **A:** SAMP/T NG is a next-generation system with a new radar, launchers, fire control system, and upgraded missiles. It provides 360-degree coverage, target detection at a range of over 350 km, and interception of ballistic targets with a range of over 600 km, whereas these specifications do not apply to the first 2023 version. ### Q: How will the four SAMP/T NG systems be financed? **A:** According to the joint declaration of the presidents of Ukraine and France from July 2026, the order for four SAMP/T NG systems is planned to be financed through the 2026 and 2027 tranches of the Ukraine Support Loan, and until the new systems are produced, France will transfer two systems of the previous generation. ### Q: When will production of Aster 30 missiles in Ukraine begin? **A:** According to the joint declaration, licensed production of Aster 30 missiles in Ukraine is to begin by the end of 2026, and a portion of the missiles is planned to be transferred by October 2026.