Ukraine faces shortage of SAMP-T missiles
Ukraine is grappling with a critical shortfall of missiles for its SAMP-T systems. The two SAMP-T ground-based air defense systems, also known as MAMBA, which were previously supplied to Ukraine by Italy and France, have nearly depleted their stock of Aster-30 missiles.
Consequently, they risk becoming unusable soon, reported the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The Ukrainian authorities have been urging both countries for weeks to provide Kyiv with at least 50 such missiles.
However, according to the publication, the Italian government is not ready to make a final decision as its own reserves have reached critically low levels. "The French have more," Corriere della Sera claims, but they note that Paris has yet to give Kyiv a positive response.
Italy had already provided two SAMP-T batteries to Ukraine, which is defending against Russian military aggression, leaving three to protect its own territory. According to Corriere della Sera, Italy's defense plan, presented in November 2024, includes the procurement of ten more such systems, each costing around 500 million euros.
The Franco-Italian SAMP-T system can track dozens of targets and intercept up to ten at the same time. It is the only European-made air defense system capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. Ukraine received its second SAMP-T system from Italy in late September 2024, as per the earlier statement by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The first installation was jointly provided to Ukraine by Italy and France in 2023.
Despite this, Corriere della Sera, citing American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, reported that the effectiveness of SAMP-T "disappoints," falling far below standards guaranteed by American Patriot missile systems. Specifically, the publication notes that SAMP-T may have problems identifying enemy missiles, especially in conditions of massive attacks.
The Italian publication states that on March 14, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with his Italian counterpart in Rome to discuss ammunition supplies. Moreover, he held talks with the leadership of the Eurosam consortium, which is responsible for producing Aster-30 missiles.
In addition to the shortage of Aster-30 missiles, the Ukrainian Armed Forces exhausted their supplies of American long-range ATACMS missiles by the end of January, which were used for strikes on Russian territory. According to a report by Reuters on March 13, citing sources, the United States may provide modified ground-launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) instead of ATACMS when resuming long-range weapon supplies to Ukraine. These bombs are modified to protect against Russian electronic warfare systems.
GLSDB were procured during the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden as part of his administration's initiative to aid Kyiv in security. This weapon, which has a range of up to 160 kilometers, is launched from ground-based M270 and M142 HIMARS rocket systems. The Ukrainian Armed Forces command previously reported that these "guided bombs" were not very effective at the front due to Russian radio interference, which in some cases prevented the intended targets from being hit.