Italy to provide Ukraine with SPADA and Skyguard air defense missile systems
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According to information published by "The Kyiv Independent" news website, Italy will provide Ukraine with air defense missile systems Spada and Skyguard in addition to SAMP/T promised a few days ago by France and Italy.
The urgent needs for the Ukrainian armed forces today are air defense systems and tanks which are a priority to protect military infrastructures and the main cities of Ukraine. Every day, the Russian forces launched dozens of missiles against the main cities of the country.
France and Italy approved the delivery of Italian-French SAMP-T air defense systems in early February of this year.
On February 21, 2023, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged firm and continued support to Kyiv after holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Spada is a family of short-range air defense systems developed by the Italian defense company, Leonardo. It is designed to provide protection against low-flying aerial threats such as aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The Spada system uses a combination of surveillance radar, tracking radar, and electro-optical sensors to detect and track aerial threats. The system can engage targets using a range of missiles, including the Aspide and the Mistral.
The Spada 2000 system uses the Aspide missile which has a range of up to 25 kilometers and can engage targets at altitudes of up to 18,000 meters. It can also use the shorter-range Mistral missile, which has a range of up to 6 kilometers and can engage targets at altitudes of up to 3,500 meters.
The Oerlikon Skyguard is an air defense system now manufactured by the German Company Rheinmetall Defense. The first development is a joint collaboration between of Oerlikon Contraves of Switzerland and Raytheon Company of the United States. It combines two proven systems, the Skyguard fire-control system, used to control Oerlikon Contraves twin 35 mm GDF series towed anti-aircraft guns and the Raytheon AIM-7E/AIM-7F/AIM-7M Sparrow missile which, in its normal application, is air-launched.
Using the 35mm cannon, the Skyguard has a maximum firing range of 4,000 and can reach aerial targets at a range of up to 7,000 with the missiles.