Italy will deploy its long-range SAMP/T air defense system to Estonia later this year, the two countries confirmed in a joint statement issued during the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
The deployment will take place at Ämari Airbase, where Italian fighter jets will also begin patrolling Estonian airspace as part of NATO’s rotational Baltic Air Policing Mission.
“The deployment of SAMP/T to Ämari Airbase is a sign of the indivisibility of Allied security and underlines the Alliance resolve to safeguard Allied territory, populations and forces from air and missile threats, through a robust air and missile defense,” said Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in the joint statement.
Estonia has been actively seeking partners for rotational air defense deployments. At the end of last year, Spain stationed its NASAMS system in the country. Pevkur emphasized that this form of cooperation mirrors NATO’s long-standing model for joint air policing and extends it into the domain of missile defense.
Pevkur stated that systems such as SAMP/T are “crucial for ensuring collective defense.” He also noted the additional value of the deployment: joint training for Estonian and Italian troops.
“As part of this effort, we will see the SAMP/T air defense system in Estonia for the first time this fall. Italian fighter jets will also be patrolling our airspace at the same time,” Pevkur said.
Italy has already deployed SAMP/T systems to NATO’s eastern border. In February, it sent one of its three SAMP/T batteries to Lithuania.
SAMP/T—also known as MAMBA when operated by the French Air Force—is a Franco-Italian system designed to counter a range of airborne threats, including cruise missiles, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, and conventional aircraft. It is built to protect critical infrastructure such as airfields and ports, and can intercept missiles with ranges up to 600 kilometers.
France currently fields seven MAMBA systems, while Italy operates three.
In Ukraine, a French-Italian SAMP/T system provided to Kyiv has reportedly downed at least one Russian Sukhoi aircraft, according to Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force Command. Ihnat shared the information during a panel discussion titled “Defence Talks: Skies Without Glide Bombs.” While he did not specify the location or timing of the engagement, Ihnat said, “SAMP/T downed a Sukhoi. And other targets as well. There is a confirmed aircraft.”
Though operated by a limited number of NATO members, the SAMP/T system has grown in importance for the Alliance’s integrated air and missile defense strategy. The deployment to Estonia, expected in the fall, will be the system’s first presence in the country and reflects an expansion of joint NATO deterrence and defense measures along the eastern frontier.