The Italian Army has taken delivery of its first SAMP/T NG (New Generation) air defense system, marking a major milestone in the development of a layered national air and missile defense capability.
The system was received by the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command in Sabaudia, Lazio, alongside the Grifo short-range air defense system. This follows the earlier delivery of Rheinmetall’s Skynex close-range air defense system to the same command in December.
The SAMP/T NG is a medium-range air defense system developed by the EUROSAM joint venture, comprising MBDA Italy, MBDA France, and Thales. The system is designed to counter a broad spectrum of threats, including short- and medium-range ballistic missiles as well as emerging hypersonic threats.
Developed under a Franco-Italian program initiated in 2021, the SAMP/T NG represents an evolution of the in-service SAMP/T system. It integrates the new Aster B1NT interceptor missile, which offers a range exceeding 150 kilometers, along with Leonardo’s Kronos Grand Mobile high-power radar capable of detecting threats at distances beyond 350 kilometers.
Italy is scheduled to receive a total of 10 SAMP/T NG systems for both the Army and Air Force, while an additional eight systems are destined for the French Air Force.
The Grifo system, developed by MBDA Italy under a program launched in 2019, employs the CAMM-ER interceptor to provide short-range air defense for deployed forces. It is designed to detect, track, and engage a wide array of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, unmanned systems, cruise missiles, and anti-radiation missiles.
Together, the SAMP/T NG and Grifo systems provide high mobility, modularity, and flexibility, enabling a fully integrated, layered, and 360-degree air and missile defense architecture. Both systems are designed to be fully interoperable and capable of operating within national and NATO air defense networks.
