On June 30, Switzerland selected to purchase the Patriot air defense system for its air defense modernization effort. To satisfy its BODLUV 2020 air defense requirement, Switzerland had previously evaluated the United States’ Patriot and the Eurosam-built SAMP/T surface-to-air systems. The U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of up to five Patriot batteries to...
On July 6, Singapore first publicly displayed its Aster 30 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system at parade rehearsals. The Republic of Singapore Air Force first took delivery of over 100 missiles from MBDA in 2017. The Aster 30 was co-developed by France and Italy in the 1990s and can intercept airborne targets higher than 3 km...
Switzerland’s Ministry of Defense has earmarked 1.3-1.5 billion Swiss francs ($1.4-$1.6 billion USD) to buy a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system as part of its “Air 2030” program to improve the neutral country’s air defenses. The SAMs under consideration include: David’s Sling from Rafael, Patriot from Raytheon, and SAMP/T from Eurosam. The procurement plan is part...
In early March, Singapore officials confirmed deployment of the MBDA Aster 30 air defense system. The missiles were ordered at the end of summer 2013, to replace Singapore’s aging I-HAWK ground-based air defense system. In a March 2 speech to the Parliament’s defense committee, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen confirmed deployment of the Aster 30...
On November 8, Turkey signed a letter of intent with France and Italy in Brussels to strengthen cooperation on air and missile defense projects. The France-Italy EUROSAM consortium, which produces the SAMP-T missile defense system, are set to meet with Turkish representatives to discuss the common defensive needs of each country. Although Turkey has seemingly...
On November 7, the Swedish government announced it will begin negotiations with U.S. company Raytheon for a $1.2 billion Patriot missile defense sale. The Swedish Armed Forces and the Defense Material Administration (FMV) chose Patriot over the French consortium Eurosam’s SAMP/T. “This is a major investment in the Swedish defence capability as well as the...
On July 14, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik announced Turkey had signed a “cooperation agreement” with the Eurosam Consortium to acquire and coproduce the SAMP/T Aster 30 surface-to-air missile (SAM) defense system. The two-stage deal would first let Turkey import SAMP/T systems to bolster the country’s integrated air defense system, and then share technology with...
Looking to modernize its air and ballistic missile defense force, Italy has joined France in backing Eurosam’s development of the Aster 30 Block 1 NT (B1NT) missile for the SAMP/T air defense system currently fielded by both nations. The B1NT is an extended range variant that increases the interceptor’s anti-ballistic missile capabilities, allowing it to...
