Multiple Gulf states have requested Italian air defense and anti-drone systems, including the SAMP/T
By Bernie,
Multiple Gulf states have requested Italian air defense and anti-drone systems, including the SAMP/T, the only European-made system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament on Monday. Crosetto said he held direct meetings with defense ministers of the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, as well as counterparts from the UK, France, Poland, and Germany.
Crosetto acknowledged availability is severely limited, saying: "These capabilities are already heavily strained and limited in light of European needs and the support provided so far to Ukraine." Italy is already supplying SAMP/T systems to Ukraine.
The minister also revealed that no European country was informed of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in advance, stating: "No European country received any information until the planes were in the air. The Americans didn't tell anyone." Crosetto said the strike timeline was accelerated from what had originally been planned in order to hit a priority target, a reference to the strike that killed Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told lawmakers the conflict represents a direct threat to Italy's security. Crosetto himself had been stranded in Dubai with his family when the strikes began and returned to Italy on Sunday after evacuating his children to Muscat, Oman.
Topics: Iran, Missile Defense & Alerts
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