Ukraine has begun deploying the SAMP/T air defense system recently delivered by Italy.
The French-Italian system is operated by a team of 20 Ukrainian servicemen trained by Rome.
It took Italy several weeks to ready the system, whose delivery was announced in February, according to Decode 39.
“Italy has already completed its part, we are waiting for the French to do so as well. There is no exact date of [the system’s] field operation yet, but it seems very close indeed,” the outlet quoted Ukraine’s ambassador to Italy Yaroslav Melnik.
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Manufactured by a consortium of MBDA Italy, MBDA France, and Thales, the system protects against cruise and tactical ballistic missiles, as well as manned and unmanned military aircraft.
The system’s Arabel multi-function radar can simultaneously track up to 100 targets and launch eight missiles in quick succession for intercept.
The system’s Aster 30 missile interceptor has a range of 120 kilometers (74 miles) and an altitude of 20 kilometers (12 miles).