Reference Message Network reported on April 24 that the German News Television Channel website published an article on April 17 titled "Is Europe About to Have a Game-Changing Air Defense System in the Face of Russia's Missiles?" The author is Robin Glütschmacher. The following are excerpts from the article:

Since the United States suspended its military aid to Ukraine and relations between Europe and Washington have become increasingly tense, EU countries have seriously doubted their own arsenals. It is well known that most of them are American equipment, which may become unreliable at any time. Therefore, the question now is where Europe is overly dependent on the United States and what it can offer on its own.

At present, many European countries rely on the U.S. Patriot air defense system, which can almost shoot down any target in the air, including ballistic missiles. The replacement for the Patriot found by Europe is the SAMP-T air defense system jointly developed by France and Italy.

Both systems are currently deployed in Ukraine, but the quantities are limited. The Ukrainian army repeatedly praised the performance of the Patriot and requested more missiles. According to The Wall Street Journal, the SAMP-T is difficult to eliminate Russia's ballistic missiles and performs worse than the Patriot.

The new improved version of SAMP-T, called SAMP-T NG, is highly anticipated. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that SAMP-T NG should be provided to countries interested in purchasing the Patriot.

The new version already has potential customers. In 2022, several countries joined the "European Sky Shield Initiative" aimed at strengthening Europe's air defense capabilities. The Danish Ministry of Defense said it would purchase either the SAMP-T NG or the Patriot. According to Estonian Public Broadcasting, the country will also choose between these two systems. Military blogs reported that Croatia is also considering purchasing the SAMP-T NG.

The manufacturer, Eurosam, claims that the SAMP-T NG will "change the game," capable of shooting down ballistic missiles with ranges exceeding 600 kilometers and even hypersonic missiles. According to a company spokesperson, a total of 18 SAMP-T NG systems were ordered by France and Italy. Production orders have been placed, but development work is not yet complete, and delivery will begin in 2026.

To deter or resist Russia, Europe needs multiple systems as well as trained personnel. However, mass equipping of the SAMP-T NG in Europe will be difficult, as the production volume of its predecessor, the SAMP-T, is very low, and the "Aster" air defense missiles it uses are reportedly scarce with particularly long production cycles.

In addition, the "Ground Fire 300" radar developed and produced by Thales recently passed a series of tests. According to the "Defense Express" website, this radar has autonomous ballistic missile detection capabilities, can simultaneously track up to 1000 targets, and may fully leverage the potential of the SAMP-T NG. (Translated/Compiled by Zhong Si Rui)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496760728625267236/

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