France is unhappy with the absence of SAMP/T in Europe's Sky Shield project missile defence system - the programme relies on Patriot, Arrow-3 and IRIS-T SLM at a cost of tens of billions of dollars

The European Sky Shield missile defence system project will do without the French-Italian SAMP/T surface-to-air missile systems. This is not much to France's liking.

Here's What We Know

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European countries started investing more in strengthening their own defence capabilities. Late last year, Germany unveiled a project for a pan-European Sky Shield missile defence system.

A dozen and a half countries, including Britain, Sweden and Finland, have joined the new program. Some states are in no hurry to participate in the project. France, for example, has been disappointed that Sky Shield relies heavily on Israeli and U.S. missile defense systems.

Germany has already announced that it will use domestic IRIS-T SLM, American MIM-104 Patriot and Israeli Arrow-3 surface-to-air missile systems as part of the Sky Shield programme. Last week, German lawmakers approved the purchase of six IRIS-T systems worth about $1bn and the Arrow-3 for $4.3bn.

France is upset that the Sky Shield project has no place for the SAMP/T system. It can destroy ballistic missiles and provides the same range to intercept air threats as Patriot.

French President Emmanuel Macron is not just unhappy with Sky Shield's reliance on weapons systems manufactured outside Europe. He sees the downside as Sky Shield does not adequately address the deterrence of Russia by boosting its long-range missile capability.

Source: Financial Times