Turkey and Italy begin negotiations on purchase and production of SAMP/T air defense system
The authorities of Turkey have started negotiations with Italy regarding the acquisition and joint production of the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense missile system.
This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources.
According to the agency, Turkey previously held similar negotiations with France, but Paris rejected Ankara's request for the supply of the air defense system. Bloomberg's sources indicate that Turkey was prompted to intensify negotiations due to incidents involving Iranian missiles falling on its territory during a military operation by the United States and Israel.
At the same time, Turkey is attempting to improve relations with the United States in terms of military-technical cooperation, which deteriorated after Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 systems in 2019.
The mobile SAMP/T air defense missile system was developed by the European consortium Eurosam, with production starting in 1997. The system is capable of destroying aerial targets at a range of up to 100 km. The SAMP/T is in service with the armed forces of France, Italy, Singapore, and Ukraine. In September 2025, an agreement was also reached for the supply of SAMP/T to the Armed Forces of Denmark.
