Aérospatiale / MBDA EUROSAM Aster missile family

SAMP/T scored its first Su-35 in Ukraine (link in Ukr):
A Russian Su-35 military aircraft was shot down by a ground-based anti-aircraft missile system of Italian-French production SAMP/T during the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
This was confirmed to journalists by Yuriy Ignat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command, during a discussion at “Defense Talks: Sky without KABs,” a correspondent for Suspilny reports .
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Any talk in France about funding increased Aster production? That is, independent of any contracts.
Macron talks big about replacing the Patriot, but when 200 interceptors between 3 nations is big news, I think it's far from reality.
 
Big_Zukini said:
Any talk in France about funding increased Aster production? That is, independent of any contracts.
Macron talks big about replacing the Patriot, but when 200 interceptors between 3 nations is big news, I think it's far from reality.
Click to expand...

France and Italy ordered 700 Aster missiles in December 2022.
MBDA missile production was up 33% vs 2023 last year and this year will reach 100% up on 2023, they are ahead of schedule to raise 2022 Aster production 50% by 2026 and in 2024 they quadrupled Mistral missile production ahead of the 2025 target (from 20 to 80 missiles per month). The company is investing €2.4 billion to increase manufacturing capacity with 2,500 new hires last year and 2,600 new hires this year taking their workforce to 18,000 (a 40% increase).
 
zjz said:
The launchers are not flushed with the deck? The whole block just behind the main gun looks "un-stealthy"......
Click to expand...

The raised coaming around the VLS nest is actually there to shield the VLS hatch lids from radar view at the most important angles. (And from breaking waves, I assume).
 
Last edited:
Big_Zukini said:
Any talk in France about funding increased Aster production? That is, independent of any contracts.
Macron talks big about replacing the Patriot, but when 200 interceptors between 3 nations is big news, I think it's far from reality.
Click to expand...
France does not use Patriot.
 
Your "Macron talks big about replacing the Patriot" is ambiguous enough that people might assume you did.
 
zjz said:
The launchers are not flushed with the deck? The whole block just behind the main gun looks "un-stealthy"......
Click to expand...
Even though it's been in service for years I've still never seen a decent video of Aster/EuroSAM. 2:20 - 2:26 is about it.
 

MBDA on track with its acceleration of ASTER missile production

MBDA has delivered - through the OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) - the first batch of ASTER munitions from accelerated production measures that are part of the company's ramp-up efforts. This delivery comes less than two and a half years after an initial contract with the...
www.mbda-systems.com www.mbda-systems.com

ASTER: MBDA takes new steps to strengthen Europe's air defence

MBDA achieved two milestones in European Air Defence capabilities during July 2025. The second successful firing of ASTER Block 1 NT (New Technology) and the delivery of the first batch of ASTER munitions from accelerated production measures part of the company's ramp-up efforts. These two major...
www.mbda-systems.com www.mbda-systems.com
 

MBDA accelerates production of Aster missiles and delivers first batch since effort began​

www.navalnews.com

MBDA accelerates production of Aster missiles and delivers first batch since effort began - Naval News

Following additional orders placed by France, Italy and the United Kingdom, MBDA is accelerating its production rate for Aster missiles.
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com
The delivery confirms MBDA’s ability to meet its commitment to reducing the production lead-time of ASTER missiles in 2026 by more than half compared to 2022, and deliver five times more ASTER missiles than originally planned in 2025.
Click to expand...
 
www.defensenews.com

Denmark to complete $3.4 billion of air defense purchases by year-end

Governments across the continent are scrambling to either bolster what they already have or put in place the means to defend their skies.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
PARIS – Denmark plans to wrap up its acquisition of ground-based air defense systems by the end of the year, with a total planned investment of as much as 25 billion Danish kroner (US$3.4 billion), according to the country’s Defence Ministry.

For the long-range component, Denmark expects to choose between the U.S. Patriot and the French-Italian SAMP/T system during fall 2025, the ministry told Defense News. The country intends to conclude all contracts by year-end, including a potential purchase of additional short- to medium-range systems, the MoD said.

[snip]
Click to expand...
 
Just noticed that since the war in Ukraine started, more than 1000 days ago, a grand total of 0 (that’s zero) Aster missiles have been ordered by Europeans countries.
I’m excluding the 3 existing users : Italy, France & United Kingdom.
Talk about a failure
Btw, Belgium seems more and more likely to order patriot instead of SAMP/T NG for commonality with Netherlands.
 
Pepin said:
Just noticed that since the war in Ukraine started, more than 1000 days ago, a grand total of 0 (that’s zero) Aster missiles have been ordered by Europeans countries.
I’m excluding the 3 existing users : Italy, France & United Kingdom.
Talk about a failure
Click to expand...
That's like complaining that no one in Europe has ordered Standard SM-6 for ground use; it's technically true, but missing a lot of context. It's almost true for Patriot, never mind Standard, with only the Swiss as technically new customers (I think it's reasonable to exclude Ukraine as a customer for either Aster or Patriot, rather than the beneficiary of donations from others).

1) Existing Patriot operators aren't going to order SAMP/T (and vice versa)
2) New Patriot operators are equally thin on the ground, mostly dating back to 2017/18
3) Even the Swiss Patriot order (2022) only just post-dates the invasion, so was likely finalised on the Swiss side prior to hostilities, with only the final US export process approvals post-hostilities.

What's arguably much more interesting than "no Aster orders" is "no Aster or Patriot orders", orders seem to be going in at the lower tier of NASAMS/IRIS-SLM/CAMM, or, in very limited numbers, the higher tier of Arrow-3 (Germany). The sole order I can think of in roughly the Patriot/SAMP/T tier is the Finnish order for David's Sling.

Theoretically there's the European Sky Shield Initiative on the plus side for Patriot, but there doesn't actually seem to be much in the way of orders attached to it as yet. Plus the choice of ordnance for ESSI was simply what Germany has in service/on order.

ETA: Part of the problem for both Patriot and SAMP/T orders is undoubtedly production capacity. We've already seen Switzerland told the US can't fill their Patriot order because it's been diverted to Ukraine (resulting in an urgent IRIS-SLM order), and while Aster production has been increased it's got to both deal with UK/France/Italy resupply, and cover something like 260+ new A50/A70 VLS cells in new construction for France, Italy, Indonesia, Egypt and Qatar
 
Last edited:
According to the Financial Times, the recently announced decision from Denmark to procure SAMP/T NG will involve the purchase of 4 systems.

“It is not a rejection of Patriots. It’s a selection of what is best,” said Per Pugholm Olsen, head of the Danish ministry of defence’s acquisitions office. He pointed to the higher price and the longer delivery time as reasons for not going for the US option.
Click to expand...
The Danish defence ministry said on Thursday that it would buy one or more of three European medium-range air defence systems: the Norwegian NASAMS, German IRIS-T, and the French VL MICA.

Denmark’s decision to buy four SAMP-T NG systems comes as good news for France and Italy since it marks the first sale of the weaponry to a military outside of their own. The earlier version of the SAMP-T had failed in multiple bidding processes in the past decade as countries such as Switzerland and Sweden opted for US Patriots.
Click to expand...


Also according to danish publicly funded national broadcaster dr.dk
www.dr.dk

ANALYSE Luftforsvaret er 58 milliarder fravalg af Trumps USA

Et nyt luftforsvar er danmarkshistoriens største våbenindkøb – men Nato kommer til at forlange endnu mere.
www.dr.dk www.dr.dk

Europe scores a point

With this record purchase, Denmark and Europe are now taking a decisive step toward autonomy. A decision that will have international repercussions.

It will also give a serious boost to European defense manufacturers, who are receiving a major order from a NATO country like Denmark. With more orders will come the ability to increase production, and thus better ensure independence.

The Patriot system – which was competing in Denmark under the more technical name IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System) – was, according to DR Nyheder, soundly defeated by its European competitor, the SAMP/T NG.

For example, the Patriot was twice as expensive. Not only to purchase, but also in terms of operating costs over its entire lifespan.

Not to mention the most crucial category, military performance, where the SAMP/T NG also outperformed its rival. And that is precisely what matters: the ability to detect and destroy threats.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
www.defensenews.com

Denmark picks French-Italian SAMP/T air defense system over Patriot

Denmark announced earlier Friday that it will be purchasing MBDA's SAMP/T system rather than the Patriot system.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com

"Denmark already scrambled to put together a medium-range air defense component, drawing on three different systems: a Kongsberg NASAMS system, two MBDA VL MICA systems and an IRIS-T system from Germany’s Diehl Defence, with the first system expected to be operational from around end-2025.
The medium-range systems being acquired will be part of the total final eight, the Ministry of Defence said, with a choice for further medium-range components to be made between one or more systems from Kongsberg, MBDA and Diehl."

AIUI the Danes leased (NASAMS) or bought (IRIS-T SLM, VL MICA) whatever was immediately available, and are now going to do a down-select after the fact. Being the leased system probably doesn't favour NASAMS, there's no being stuck with it element if it isn't selected, while they'll have to buy it to keep it, unlike IRIS-T SLM and VL MICA, which are already sunk costs.
 
Titus K said:
"Luxembourg could acquire it"
Click to expand...
Is that Luxembourg acquiring it, which would significantly increase the size of the Luxembourgish military (total strength c1200), or is Luxembourg simply going to be holding it for a multi-national force as it does with the E-3? OTOH converting one of Luxembourg's two rifle companies to SAMP/T might significantly increase the value of its contribution to NATO without requiring an expanded military.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2003111615932112935
View: https://x.com/aidefranceukr/status/2003111615932112935?s=20

Ukraine to Be First in World to Receive New French-Italian SAMP/T NG Missile Defense Shield​

united24media.com

Ukraine to Be First in World to Receive French-Italian New SAMP/T NG Missile Defense Shield

France is set to send the SAMP/T NG air defense system to Ukraine by 2026, providing enhanced protection against threats from Russia.
united24media.com united24media.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/2003053447197921749
View: https://x.com/CiroNappi6/status/2003053447197921749?s=20
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom