France’s Samp/T NG: France is now trying to make a shift in the defence again, this time with a missile defence system called Samp/T NG. After already promoting the Rafale fighter jet as another option to America’s F-35, France is now turning attention toward missile defence.
Along with Italy, they built the Samp/T NG system through a joint venture called Eurosam, which includes MBDA and Thales. This new system is being shown as a strong European-made choice for countries who are looking at American defence deals and thinking of trying something else.
France’s Samp/T NG: Powerful radar system
One of the biggest strengths of Samp/T is its powerful radar system. This radar can spin around every second and can keep watch over more than 350 kilometres of the sky in all directions, reported Wion news. It gives full 360-degree coverage. That makes it very different from the Patriot system from the US, which watches in a smaller direction range. Eric Tabacchi, who works as an advisor at Eurosam, explained that the radar’s wide field makes it better at spotting incoming threats from any side.
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Faster Launch and Long Range Attack
Samp/T can launch missiles straight up because it uses vertical canisters. That way, it can shoot at any target from any direction without having to turn. A full battery of Samp/T has one radar and up to six launchers. Each launcher holds eight Aster 30 missiles, making 48 in total. The Patriot, on the other hand, has slanted launchers which makes it harder to fire in every direction at once.
The Aster 30 missile is what really powers the system. It can destroy airplanes and cruise missiles from 150 kilometres away. It can even detect moving ballistic missiles from more than 600 kilometres. This kind of long-distance and accurate hit gives Samp/T a real edge and puts it in the same league as the Patriot’s PAC-3 MSE missile.
Crew Capacity
Another thing that makes Samp/T different is how small its crew needs to be. Around 15 people can set it up and run it. But the US Patriot system usually needs about 90 soldiers for one battery. Because of this, Samp/T is easier to move around and set up quickly, especially if things change fast on the battlefield. Eurosam talked about this benefit at the Paris Air Show, showing how the smaller team size helps with speed and mobility.
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Global Defence Market
Since it came out in 2011, Samp/T has gotten 18 full orders. France and Italy use it in their own countries, and Singapore has bought a special version. Even Ukraine has received two Samp/T units. But the US Patriot system is still ahead with more than 240 orders from 19 different countries. That makes Patriot the most used air defence system in NATO, based on a 2025 report from SIPRI.
