Berlin weighs French offer to join European SAMP/T air defense project

Germany will study a French proposal to co-produce the SAMP/T air defense system, marking the first official response to an overture aimed at bolstering the continent's sovereign defense industry. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the review on Tuesday, following a bilateral ministerial summit where French President Emmanuel Macron outlined the cooperation offer.

Macron framed the proposal as a matter of strategic independence. "On air defense, we’re arguing for European sovereignty, and we’re going to move forward on the famous SAMP/T new-generation system, with also a clear willingness from France to co-produce with Germany and our Italian partners in the new-generation SAMP/T," he said at a Friday press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

While Berlin is open to the idea "in principle," Pistorius noted a significant operational hurdle. Germany currently relies on the U.S.-made Patriot ecosystem for long-range air defense, and he cautioned that operating both Patriot and SAMP/T systems simultaneously would be difficult to manage. However, Pistorius suggested a longer-term partnership could be highly beneficial. He pointed to a potential timeline of "10 years or more" for joint technology development, rather than just limited production. "We should therefore take this offer seriously" and study the details, he told reporters.

A push for sovereign defense

The diplomatic maneuvering comes as European defense ministries grow increasingly anxious over their reliance on American military supply chains. An acute shortage of Patriot interceptors, worsened by the recent U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran, has left European Patriot customers on edge. The U.S. government has signaled it will prioritize fulfilling hardware requirements for its own forces, relegating international orders to the back of the queue.

This scarcity has amplified calls for European alternatives like the SAMP/T, the continent's only domestically produced long-range air defense system. Pan-European missile manufacturer MBDA is moving to capture this demand, planning to double production this year of the Aster interceptors used in the system. In October 2024, the firm successfully test-fired an upgraded Aster 30 Block 1 New Technology interceptor designed to counter medium-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

Production of the new-generation systems is already advancing. Italy took delivery of its first SAMP/T NG in January, equipped with a Leonardo radar offering a 300-kilometer range. France received its upgraded system in February, featuring a Thales Ground Fire 300 radar with a claimed 400-kilometer reach.

The escalating demand is also reshaping defense capabilities in Ukraine. Kyiv announced on July 14 that it plans to order four SAMP/T NG systems, with progressive deployments beginning in 2027. To bridge the gap, France will send two older SAMP/T systems to Ukraine temporarily. Furthermore, Paris and Rome have agreed to accelerate the delivery of existing Aster 30 missiles by October and authorized licensed production of the Aster 30 in Ukraine by the end of 2026.