The new military aid package from Italy to Ukraine will include an additional SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile system; it will become the second such unit in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The first one was supplied in summer 2023 by the joint efforts of France and Italy, after three months of negotiations started in October 2022. This time, Italy will supply the system alone and without long talks.
The announcement of the new aid package is expected on June 13, before the G7 meeting in Puglia, La Repubblica reports. The package will also include artillery systems and ammunition. As noted by the Italian journalists, the transfer of SAMP/T became possible due Rome's decision to withdraw one of these SAMs deployed in Slovakia, which came to light in March 2024.
Read more: One SAMP-T as Difficult to Get as Two Patriots: Ukraine Negotiates Transfer
Formally, the one handed to Ukraine may not be the very SAMP/T taken back from Slovakia, but it's the same one "spare" battery of this system, that the Italian side at the time said was "needed elsewhere." Moreover, this decision is the direct reaction to the openly pro-russian policy of Robert Fico, who heads the government of Slovakia.
Because it is one thing when the previous Slovakian government even exceeded expectations in regards to supporting Ukraine. Precisely, after transferring the S-300 air defense systems and MiG-29 fighters together with Poland, the Italian SAMP/T was deployed in the country as insurance. And the other is when the country's new government directly plays into the hands of the Kremlin and only allows its private defense manufacturers to make business with Ukraine.
Worth noting, just a few weeks ago, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, mentioned active negotiations were underway regarding one SAMP/T. Generally, obtaining this air defense system is no easier than finding a spare Patriot for Ukraine, because the overall number of these air defense systems in service and operator countries is very small. Apart from France, Italy, and since recently Ukraine, the only remaining operator is Singapore — the country has just marked achievement of full combat readiness of SAMP/T in its armed forces in December 2023.
In total, as of 2021, there were 10 fire units of SAMP/T in France, and 6 more fire units in Italy. Although, let's remember that an Italian fire unit differs from a French one in having a reduced composition of 4 instead of 6 launchers.
For Ukraine, acquisition of an additional SAMP/T is extremely important due to the rare hit-to-kill capability featured by this air defense system. It enables effective interception of ballistic missiles. Also, the anti-aircraft Aster 30 missiles can destroy enemy fighters and bombers at an impressive range in excess of 100 km.
However, there are issues with respect to the production of missiles to SAMP/T. In particular, the French military has repeatedly lamented the fact that the current rate of production of Aster interceptors is one missile per 40 months, and they want to speed the process up to 18 months for making a missile.
In early 2023, France and Italy entered agreement on a joint effort to produce a total of 700 missiles of the Aster family within the next few years: both sea-based Aster 15 and land-based Aster-30.
Read more: Israel Decommissions all Patriot Systems as "Too Obsolete," What's the Chance of Ukraine Getting Them
