France, through OCCAR, launch the serial production of eight SAMP/T NG systems for the French Air and Space Forces. Credit: Thales.

France’s Armed Forces Minister, Sébastian Lecornu, announced the production of eight SAMP/T NG systems for the nation’s Air and Space Forces.

It was first revealed by the Minister during the Conference on European Air and Missile Defence in Rome, Italy on 17 September 2024.

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The original SAMP/T, as the French acronym denotes, is a surface-to-air, medium-range ground-based variant of the Aster missile. Manufactured by Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA and Thales, the programme is under the management of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the Italian Army and the French Air and Spaces Forces.

The interceptor protects sensitive sites and is also deployed against missile threats.

The original systems have proven successful in Ukraine. The system can be used to target aircraft and cruise missiles at a range of more than 100 kilometres and provide an engagement capability against tactical ballistic missiles.

Ukraine’s former Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, commented on 3 September 2024, that only Patriot and SAMP/T air defence systems are capable of intercepting Russia’s ballistic missiles.

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However, a SAMP/T New Generation (NG) variant will soon enter service from 2026, according to Lecornu’s statement. Crucially, this version is capable of intercepting more significant threats, notably short and medium range ballistic missiles as well as hypersonic ones.

Accordingly, a live fire test will commence in October this year which will serve as a milestone toward France’s deployment of the sovereign missile defence system.

The Russia-Ukraine war – which has reached more than two-and-a-half years – has pushed the continent into ramping up defence production, particularly in the missile defence sector.

The European missile market is anticipated to register a compound annual growth rate of 5.3%, growing from $45.5bn (€41bn) in 2024 to $76bn by 2034 according to GlobalData intelligence. The cumulative market for global expenditure on missiles and missile defence systems is valued at $680bn over the forecast period.

Given the European Union’s aim to increase exportability of systems manufactured by member states in its first ever defence industrial strategy, laid out in April this year, the SAMP/T NG missile defence system may prove to a coveted system. The European system is already deployed by the Republic of Singapore and has proven use in Ukraine.