Ukraine has almost exhausted reserves of air defense missiles for SAMP-T batteries, and the country urgently appealed to Italy and France to provide additional Aster-30 missiles. About it reports the Italian edition of Corriere Della Sera on Friday, March 14.
Kyiv has been trying for several weeks to receive at least 50 Aster-30 missiles from its partners. However, Italy and France face their own restrictions. The Italian government is in no hurry to make a decision because their stocks have almost been exhausted to the intact reserve. France, although it has more reserves, also has difficulty supply.
On March 14, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov negotiated in Rome with the Italian colleague Guido Crossetto, and met with the management of Eurosam, a joint venture MBDA Italy, MBDA France and Thales, which produces Aster-30 missiles.
It is noted that the characteristics of SAMP-T missiles do not correspond to the level of American Patriot batteries. In particular, the system is not always able to effectively identify hostile rockets during massive attacks. However, it is important for Ukraine to restore your rocket reserves as soon as possible, especially in the conditions of strengthened Russian bombardment.
The Italian government, led by Georgia Meloni, has already handed over two SAMP-T batteries to Ukraine, leaving three for its own needs. At the same time, according to Corriere Della Sera, the Italian defense plan, presented in November, provides for the purchase of another 10 such complexes, each costing about 500 million euros.
