SAMP/T receives an international award
On 6 October 2015, at its annual multinational conference on ballistic missile defence, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), on the proposal of the international programme committee, presented the Technology Pioneer Award to the French and Italian teams behind the SAMP/T extended air defence system. This award recognises the success of the firing test conducted on 6 March 2013 with an Aster 30 Block 1 missile against a target representative of a Scud tactical ballistic missile, in conjunction with the NATO chain of command.
The purpose of the test was to demonstrate the ballistic missile defence capability of the SAMP/T system and in particular its interoperability with NATO systems via Link 16 for joint and allied operations.
The test was conducted at the French Ministry of Defence鈥檚 missile test range in Biscarrosse, near Bordeaux (France), by the 4th Artillery Regiment based at Mantua, Italy, and the CEAM centre of expertise in military aviation at Mont-de-Marsan, France. The operation involved significant assets from various French MoD and NATO facilities as well as an American Aegis frigate.
The SAMP/T system鈥檚 key capabilities include 360掳 area defence and simultaneous engagement of all types of conventional and short-range ballistic missile threats. Developed and manufactured by Thales and MBDA through the Eurosam consortium, under a cooperation agreement between France and Italy, the SAMP/T system is in service in both countries and is the cornerstone of their contributions to the NATO ballistic missile defence capability.
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