Italy, France eye sending missiles to Ukraine for air defense systems

Italy and France have agreed to jointly purchase about 700 Aster-30 anti-aircraft missiles, according to the newspaper Il Messaggero, Report informs referring to TASS.

The missiles are being used to equip SAMP-T air defense systems, which the countries intend to supply to Ukraine. However, in all likelihood, not all missiles will be destined for Kyiv, the newspaper writes. Some will remain in the arsenals of Italy and France.

According to Il Messaggero, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu discussed at a meeting in Rome on January 27 the technical details of deliveries of air defense systems to Kyiv. According to the newspaper La Stampa, the final communiqué following the meeting of the defense ministers didn’t mention the dispatch of the SAMP-T air defense system, because, according to Italian diplomatic sources, the French asked for a little more time.

Officially, the decision will be made by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron.

In addition, during the negotiations, the production of new SAMP-T batteries was approved, writes Il Messaggero. The developer and manufacturer of the SAMP-T air defense system is the European consortium Eurosam. The system is designed for all-round protection of ground facilities from a massive air attack, taking into account the possibility of the enemy using drones and creating electronic interference. According to the newspaper, the cost of one battery is about 800 million euros.