The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), representing France, has awarded Eurosam a contract for the development of a multi-layered ASTER/VL MICA version of the SAMP/T NG surface-to-air missile system.
The agreement, signed on 30 April 2026, was prepared in cooperation with the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and involves MBDA and Thales, the companies behind Eurosam.
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The project is to equip the French variant of the SAMP/T NG air defence system with a new short-range surface-to-air capability using the MICA VL missile. This is expected to complement the existing medium and long-range air and ballistic missile defence functions provided by ASTER missiles.
According to Eurosam, the integration will result in a system combining ASTER B1 and ASTER B1NT missiles, which have ballistic missile defence capability, alongside short-range MICA VL and MICA NG VL missiles in their infrared (IR) and electromagnetic (EM) versions.
The introduction of these new features will require an upgrade to the SAMP/T NG’s Next Generation Engagement Module (ME-NG).
Once upgraded, the ME-NG will coordinate the deployment of different missile types from launchers to address a growing and diverse range of aerial threats.
As part of the new contract, the eight SAMP/T NG units scheduled in the current French 2024-2030 Military Programming Law will be supplied to the French Air and Space Force in the multi-layer ASTER/VL MICA configuration.
Currently, the VL MICA system supports a dual-layer setup managed by the higher-level CMD3D system, allowing for the integration of medium-range ASTER systems and short-range VL MICA systems both within national air security arrangements and in overseas military operations.
With this development, the SAMP/T NG is set to become the first European system to provide sovereign dual-layer and, ultimately, multi-layer air defence against a spectrum of threats, including drones, hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, fighter aircraft, and helicopters.
The new SAMP/T NG model has also been designed for scalability, with the possibility to add very short-range missiles, such as MISTRAL 3, and anti-drone technology in future upgrades.
