Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has placed the new generation French-Italian-made SAMP/T air defence system at the centre of his latest appeal for protection against Russian missiles, providing a European alternative to the US Patriot missiles currently used in the field.
Framing SAMP/T as "the only alternative in Europe" to the US-made Patriot, Zelensky said Ukraine would receive a new SAMP/T battery from France this year and test it specifically against ballistic missiles.
Zelensky made the announcement at a press conference in Kyiv after returning from a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
If the system proves it can reliably bring down such high‑speed threats, he argued, it would offer Kyiv not just vital battlefield protection, but a long‑term European solution at a time when US support remains uncertain.
The deal was initially signed in November 2025, during a visit of Zelensky to France, which included the potential procurement from France of 100 Rafale F4 aircraft by 2035, an unspecified number of SAMP/T air‑defense systems air‑defense radars, air-to-air missiles, and aerial bombs.
The declaration also provides for the possibility of technology transfer and joint aircraft production "with localisation in Ukraine," as well as joint production of drones.
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"Significantly more effective"
According to Belgium-based armament monitoring group armyrecognition.com, Raytheon Patriot’s latest PAC‑3 MSE missiles can hit targets at roughly 60 -100 km away and up to around 30 - 35 km high, depending on the version and target type.
SAMP/T’s Aster 30 missiles (manufactured by Eurosam, a French-Italian joint venture between Thales and MBDA) reach broadly similar horizontal distances, typically up to about 100 -120 km, but with a slightly lower maximum height of around 20 km. In practice, both can strike well beyond the horizon.
The Patriot is tuned for very high‑altitude, long‑range ballistic threats, while SAMP/T prioritises fast reactions and all‑round coverage against a mix of aircraft, cruise missiles and drones.
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During a hearing of the French Senate in November 2025, French Chief of the Staff, General Fabien Mandon said that the SAMP/T systems delivered to Ukraine "successfully intercepted" modified Russian missiles that Patriot systems had difficulty eliminating, adding that SAMP/T is "significantly more effective" than its American counterpart.
In Ukraine, Patriot batteries have played a crucial role in shielding major cities and strategic sites, and have shot down some of Russia’s most advanced weapons.
But their more limited radar field has at times been exploited by low‑flying missiles and drones approaching from multiple directions, fuelling debates within NATO over the right balance between static protection and highly mobile, 360‑degree systems.
The SAMP/T deal does fit Europe’s push for "strategic autonomy" in defence procurement, reducing reliance on US systems like Patriot amid concerns over American supply chain vulnerabilities and policy shifts under President Donald Trump.
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By prioritising Franco-Italian SAMP/T, now to be combat-tested in Ukraine and also eyed by Denmark, France is positioning European industry as a viable alternative, complete with joint production and technology transfer.
It is also an alternative to earlier initiatives such as the "European Sky Shield", that was proposed by Germany in 2023 in an attempt to organise a Europe-wide defence system against Russia's attack on Ukraine.
However, that cooperation favoured the US Patriot, and also Israeli systems, and France never warmed up to it as its own systems, like the SAMP/T were not designed to play a role in it.
(with newswires)
