This is why Zelensky invokes the Samp / T systems from Italy against Russia
Samp / t, Stinger and Aspide. These are the missile defense systems available to Italy and are at the center of the conversation between the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin, to support Ukraine
Kiev expects anti-aircraft systems from Italy.
Our country is ready to provide a missile air defense system to Ukraine to help repel the Russian invasion, sources said after Defense Minister Guido Crosetto received a phone call from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin yesterday, reports the Ansa .
The Italian government is expected to approve its latest and sixth aid package for Ukraine, including new military aid. Sources state that Italy has the following missile defense systems at its disposal: Samp / T, Stinger and Aspide.
Recently, the President of Ukraine Zelensky has already urged Italy to send the Franco-Italian air defense system Samp / T. But so far Rome does not seem to have any intention of giving up the sophisticated systems since it has few in its equipment (5 batteries located at the 4th anti-aircraft artillery regiment in Mantua).
Last week Il Messaggero reported that Italy froze its sixth package of military aid to Ukraine. From Palazzo Chigi the position was that the Meloni government must first clarify with NATO allies what exactly Kiev needs and what Rome is able to provide.
Just yesterday Ukraine received air defense systems (Nasams from the US and Aspide from Spain) while Russia continues the air attacks. The arrival of the systems comes weeks after Ukraine received Iris-T air defense missile systems from Germany , the first such sophisticated kit supplied to Kiev since the full-scale invasion of Russia more than eight months ago.
All the details.
THE LOCATION OF ZELENSKY
Zelensky presses the demands for anti-aircraft systems in response to the Russian bombing of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. We will do everything “possible and impossible” to protect our skies. This was reiterated yesterday by the Ukrainian president in a video message published on November 5 by Agenzia Nova .
"Even everything related to the supply of the Defense Forces has been analyzed in detail: it is about equipment, ammunition, communications, winter items," he explained. "The countermeasures against missiles and drone terror have been considered separately: there are already quite significant results in this regard, the killing rate has become higher, but there is still work to be done", said the president. Ukrainian. "In the coming weeks we expect good news regarding Ukraine's air defense and anti-missile defense," Zelensky said.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST NASAMS AND ASPIDE SYSTEM
"The Nasams and Aspide air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine!" Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced in a tweet . "These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army and make our skies safer."
The Nasams are a short- and medium-range surface-to-air missile defense system jointly developed by the Kongsberg (Norwegian) and Raytheon (American) companies.
The Aspide system produced by Italy was supplied by Spain.
THE SITUATION ON THE WAR FIELD
Kiev's need for more and better air defense systems comes as Moscow intensified the aerial bombardment of Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
“Russia is now running out of its stocks of missiles and has only 120 Iskanders available – one of the most feared models – according to a figure released yesterday by Ukrainian military intelligence. The problem, however, is that it is buying hundreds of ballistic missiles from Iran, capable of carrying a more powerful and less easy-to-intercept explosive warhead – because they take a different trajectory than cruise missiles. They are Zolfaghar model bombs (like the legendary two-pointed sword of the prophet Mohammed) and Fateh-110, which experts consider capable of inflicting devastating blows to cities and infrastructures ”, underlines Daniele Raineri of the newspaper Repubblica .
"Observers note that the only system that can try to stop them is the Italian-French Sampt – but to start supplying it to Ukrainian cities it is necessary for the Italian government to issue a decree," adds the newspaper.
WHAT IS THE SAMP / T MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM
Samp / t is the European air defense and anti-missile defense system, developed by Italy jointly with France since the 2000s.
It is a latest generation surface-to-air missile system developed by the European consortium Eurosam (made up of the companies Mbda Italia, Mbda Francia and Thales) for Italy and France. The aim is to replace the Hawk missile system. The weapon system is characterized by high tactical and strategic mobility (it can be easily deployed by air, sea and rail).
The Samp / T system is capable of neutralizing Tbm, Tactical Ballistic Missile threats, with engagements at distances up to 100 km.
In the aftermath of the announcement by the United States last June of the dispatch of Norwegian surface-to-air missile systems (Nasams), which have a range of over 160 kilometers, to Ukraine , it was hypothesized that Rome and Paris could contribute precisely to the ground-air system Samp / t.
THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ITALIAN ARMY
But the Italian Army is equipped with 5 batteries at the 4th anti-aircraft artillery regiment in Mantua.
Since the system came into service in 2013, the armed Force has deployed the Samp / T in multiple operational and training activities. As stated on the army website : “between 2015 and 2016 a Samp / T unit was deployed in Rome for the surveillance of the capital's skies on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy; at the same time a second battery operated in Turkey as part of the NATO “Active Fence” operation from June 2016 to December 2019 against tactical ballistic missiles coming from Syrian territory. In addition, Samp / t is included in the NATO Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) program. The latter was born with the aim of carrying out the defense of areas or vital objectives of interest to the Alliance from the missile threat ”.
The current version of Samp / T has cutting-edge capabilities in countering air threats and short-range tactical ballistic missiles.
THE ITALIAN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SENDING OF SAMP / T
Ukraine reportedly asked Italy to send SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile systems, but last week the Italian Defense Ministry made it clear that it had few batteries available and could instead send an alternative system, Il Messaggero reported.
Then there is the issue of arms shipments. “The new decree would be the sixth since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February. And Rome has not yet delivered all the armaments assigned to Kiev with the fourth and fifth inter-ministerial decrees, ”the newspaper stressed.
Finally, according to the Messenger , the third node is procedural. "In order to draw up a new" package "of armaments, it is essential that Minister of Defense Crosetto go to the Parliamentary Committee on Services which, at present, is not yet operational".
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/perche-zelensky-invoca-i-sistemi-samp-t-da-italia-contro-la-russia/ on Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:33:20 +0000.