Italy, France agree to supply Kiev SAMP/T air defense systems: Reports

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jan 17:35

The total amount of the purchase is reported to total 800 million euros ($870 million).

Soldiers present an anti-missile system SAMP/T by Thales at an international military fair in Kielce, southern Poland, Sept. 2, 2014. (Reuters Photo)

Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported Saturday that Italy and France have agreed to purchase 700 Aster-30 anti-aircraft missiles for SAMP/T antimissile systems to be supplied to Kiev.

The total amount of the purchase is reported to total 800 million euros ($870 million).

According to the report, the item, which was developed and manufactured by the European consortium Eurosam, can intercept and neutralize the full spectrum of air threats. This includes missiles within a radius of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), as well as aircraft within 100 kilometers.

The system can also intercept ballistic missiles. It can detect up to 130 air targets and launch up to 10 missiles at them.

Since the start of the conflict, Italy has already provided Ukraine with five packages of military assistance worth about 1 billion euros, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said earlier this month.

On Tuesday, the Italian parliament announced it passed a decree to continue aiding Kiev in 2023.

A sixth package of military aid to Ukraine is currently underway which will include air defense system Samp/T with ammunition, drones of Israeli design, as well as heavy artillery equipment, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Thursday.

This comes despite earlier statements issued by Italian Premier Georgia Meloni that Italy will not be taking a decision on the supply of new arms to Ukraine until next month in light of ongoing domestic political tensions, cost considerations, and military shortages, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported on January 9.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in late December that Italy was mulling sending air defenses to Kiev after a phone call between the two officials that saw Meloni underlining her government's "full support" for Ukraine.

Shortly thereafter, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto questioned whether Italy would be able to provide the aforementioned air defense systems to Ukraine.

According to La Repubblica, Meloni is facing fierce resistance from her allies when it comes to having a decree on sending arms to Ukraine approved, namely her right-wing allies Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi.

According to sources from Salvini's League and Berlusconi's Forza Italia, the two officials do not have any problems with the decree.

An additional obstacle that is not allowing the decree to pass is the concern in Rome about depriving the Italian army of air defense systems that it could need, especially as it only has five missile batteries, two of which are already committed to Kuwait and Slovakia.

Moreover, the cost of the arms meant to be sent to Kiev is another concern in Rome, the newspaper reported.

Italy, under former Prime Minister Mario Draghi, managed to send Kiev five aid packages, which included weapons. Meanwhile, Meloni's government has been working for weeks to make a sixth delivery happen.

Meloni's Brothers of Italy party and its right-wing allies won the general elections in Italy in October, her victory marked the first of a neo-fascist since WW1 in Itay.

During her first parliamentary address, one month after a historic election victory for the far-right, Meloni assured Italy's support for the EU and NATO as she added, "Italy is fully part of Europe and the Western world," and that it would "continue to be a reliable partner of NATO in supporting Ukraine."