Italy is preparing to send a Samp-T missile defense system to the Middle East, with the choice still open between Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier this week, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced that several Gulf countries have requested air defense and anti-drone systems from Italy, including Samp-T, to urgently strengthen protection against missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
According to Corriere, “Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain have submitted an urgent request to our government for defense supplies, primarily drones and Samp-T missile defense systems.” The latter is developed by the Italo-French consortium Eurosam (consisting of the companies Mbda Italy, Mbda France, and Thales), which Italy has provided to Ukraine, proving crucial in intercepting missiles and drones launched by Moscow.
The options on the table remain Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, reported Repubblica yesterday. The former had already hosted an Italian battery for over four years, withdrawn in summer 2024, officially to ensure the security of the G7 in Puglia. Also in Kuwait, at the Ali Al Salem base, there is the Italian National Contingent Command Air – Task Force Air Kuwait, established on October 17, 2014, which depends nationally on the Joint Operations Command and participates in Operation Prima Parthica/Inherent Resolve as part of the international anti-ISIS Coalition.
In the United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, it would be necessary to set up a base from scratch to host the defense system,
The initiative represents the contribution Rome intends to offer to countries exposed to Tehran’s retaliations, amid rising tensions in the area since the start of the Epic Fury operation conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran.
As already mentioned, our country has already supplied Samp-T units to Kyiv, raising questions about further export capacity to Gulf states.
All the details.
MINISTER CROSETTO’S WORDS
“From the outset, I have had direct talks with the authorities of the countries in the region; after a personal meeting with the Defense Minister of the United Arab Emirates, today I spoke with the Kuwaiti minister, yesterday with those of Qatar and Saudi Arabia; also yesterday with my colleagues from the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Germany, with whom we will have a VTC (videoconference) this afternoon, and the new Dutch colleague,” the Defense Minister said on March 2.
“The Gulf countries are expressing very strong concern about the evolution of the crisis and have expressed the need to urgently strengthen their defense capabilities, particularly in the air defense and anti-drone protection sectors, through our direct support or mediation with other partners,” Crosetto explained.
THE REQUEST FOR SAMP-T SYSTEMS
“So they asked Italy for the possibility of having something to defend themselves, and when I say something, I mean Samp-T systems, anti-drone or anti-air defense systems: it is a very delicate issue, considering that these capabilities are already, as you know, heavily demanded and limited compared to European needs and the support we have provided to Ukraine,” the minister specified.
“We are not just talking about protection that we would give to friendly countries that request it: these are also systems needed to protect the military assets we have in the area,” Crosetto added. The decision is maturing in a context marked by recent attacks that also struck Dubai while the Defense Minister was there. And according to La Stampa, “the Emirati counterpart wanted to meet him to plead for aid.”
FEATURES OF THE AIR AND ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM
Samp-T is the European air and missile defense system, developed by Italy jointly with France starting in the 2000s.
It is a next-generation ground-to-air missile system developed by the European consortium Eurosam (consisting of Mbda Italy, Mbda France, and Thales) for Italy and France. Its purpose is to replace the Hawk missile system. The weapon system is characterized by high tactical and strategic mobility (it can be easily redeployed by air, sea, and rail).
The Samp-T system is capable of neutralizing Tbm threats, Tactical Ballistic Missiles, with engagements up to 100 km.
ITALIAN ARMY EQUIPMENT
The Italian Army has five batteries assigned to the 4th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment in Mantua.
Since the system entered service in 2013, the Armed Forces have deployed the Samp-T in multiple operational and training activities. As stated on the Army’s website: “between 2015 and 2016, a Samp/T unit was deployed in Rome for the surveillance of the capital’s skies during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy; simultaneously, a second battery operated in Turkey as part of the NATO operation ‘Active Fence’ from June 2016 to December 2019 against tactical ballistic missiles coming from Syrian territory. Furthermore, the Samp/T is included in the NATO Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) program. The latter was created with the aim of providing defense for areas or vital objectives of interest to the Alliance from missile threats.”
The current version of the Samp-T has cutting-edge capabilities in countering aerial threats and short-range tactical ballistic missiles.
Italy had five complete batteries and a fire control center; after the transfer of one battery to Kyiv, four remain operational. Of these, one is generally under maintenance and another is deployed in Estonia to ensure the security of the Eastern Flank. The possible dispatch of a third to the Gulf would reduce the availability for national territory defense to a single battery.
A NEW GENERATION SAMP-T SYSTEM DELIVERED TO THE ARMY, BUT NOT YET OPERATIONAL
A new Samp-T NG battery, that is, next generation, was officially delivered to the Army on January 22 but is not yet operational. “Developed as part of a program launched in 2021, the SAMP/T NG delivered to the Italian Army has superior performance, thanks to the interception capability of the new Aster B1NT missile, beyond 150 km, and the Leonardo Kronos grand mobile high power radar which guarantees threat detection at over 350 km distance, thus increasing the protection of the Forces from modern air and missile threats, including ballistic targets” explains the armed forces’ website.
THE PARLIAMENTARY PASSAGE
Speaking in the Senate, the Defense Minister explained: “I will come to Parliament for the aid requests from the Gulf countries. These are not weapons, but aid for defense and logistics. They will be formalized in the coming days. Certainly, coordination among EU countries would be useful.” A package could arrive with “a decree law or in the fastest possible way.”
But there is no certainty about the timing, writes today ‘Ansa. “The first available date on the agenda – the news agency continues – could be next Friday’s Council of Ministers meeting, but for now this hypothesis remains distant if not excluded. In any case, the procedures should be the same that quickly led to the aid package for Ukraine shortly after the Russian invasion, four years ago: the declaration of a ‘state of emergency for intervention abroad due to the serious emergency context in the Gulf territories’ would therefore lay the groundwork for the start of the measure, which would then have to pass the examination of the Chambers.”
Minister Crosetto has confirmed the imminence of the commitment and announced that “a briefing is scheduled for Thursday” in Parliament.
