France is strengthening the ground-based component of its air and missile defence with a new order for 4 SAMP/T NG batteries. The contract, awarded to EUROSAM by OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement), brings the total number of systems ordered by France to 12. The new units will be delivered to the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace) in a multi-layer ASTER/MICA VL configuration.

The acquisition marks a further step forward in the modernization of European long-range ground-based air and missile defense capabilities, a process launched with the development of the SAMP/T NG itself in 2021. The program is the result of industrial and military cooperation between France and Italy through EUROSAM GIE (Groupement d’Intérêt Économique), a joint venture formed by MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales. To date, EUROSAM is the only continental manufacturer able to offer sovereign solutions for European air defense.

The new system delivers full integration into national and NATO air defense and surveillance networks, rapid deployment with a limited number of operators, and the ability to simultaneously neutralize every threat category — including emerging and future ones.

In more detail, the SAMP/T NG fires the ASTER 30 B1 and ASTER 30 B1NT missiles and can integrate and coordinate with SHORAD and V-SHORAD (Short/Very Short Range Air Defense) systems, delivering a layered defense against aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles (short-range for the baseline SAMP/T and medium-range for the NG version), and providing protection to the Armed Forces as well as to sensitive civilian and military infrastructure. According to figures released by the manufacturer, the system provides 360° coverage, can simultaneously engage multiple targets at ranges in excess of 150 km — including in saturation attack scenarios — and can operate in the presence of civilian air traffic. A battery comprises a GROUND FIRE 300 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) multi-function radar by Thales (KRONOS GRAND MOBILE HP radar by Leonardo for the Italian variant) with an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) module, a Command and Control module (Engagement Module), and up to 6 launchers, each carrying 8 missiles, for a maximum of 48 rounds ready to fire. The radar offers detection and identification capability beyond 350 km, while the mobile configuration allows the system to be brought into service in under 30 minutes. Mobility and rapid deployment allow the system to be tailored to operational requirements and to protect both deployed forces and sensitive sites.

A central element of this modernization is the ASTER 30 B1NT missile, designed to boost interception performance against ballistic threats and high-speed targets. The missile features a new Ka-band seeker (27-40 GHz), updated guidance algorithms, and new-generation electronic components, which enable it to achieve a direct-impact (hit-to-kill) interception capability. These new technologies allow the missile to counter a wide spectrum of threats: SRBMs and MRBMs (Short-Range and Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles, respectively), hypersonic missiles, and targets with limited maneuvering capability; actual effectiveness, however, depends on target characteristics and on the operational scenario.

The new French order thus consolidates the role of the SAMP/T NG in European air defence, with particular focus on the protection of strategic infrastructure and deployed forces. The ASTER/MICA VL configuration reflects the growing need to combine different intercept layers to respond to threats that are increasingly diversified, numerous and difficult to counter.

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