MBDA SAMP/T

SAMP/T, from the French Sol-Air Moyenne-Portee/Terrestre, is a mobile surface-to-air missile system based on the Aster 30 missile and developed as a joint Franco-Italian project by Eurosam, the consortium of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales. It can defend against aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles. Design began in 1990 with the aim of an all-European long-range ground-based air defence system to match the American Patriot, production began in 1997, and the first systems were delivered to the French and Italian armies for evaluation in 2008. Full operation began in France in 2010 and in Italy in 2012. A battery has four to six launchers of eight vertically launched Aster 30 missiles each, a multi-function radar and an engagement module, all on 8x8 trucks.