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Türkiye is in talks with Italy to purchase and co-produce the European SAMP/T missile defense system following the interception of four Iranian missiles fired toward Turkish territory since the start of the war, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Meanwhile, NATO deployed two U.S.-made Patriot systems to Türkiye as Ankara simultaneously inaugurated a $3 billion Roketsan production facility to build its own layered air defense architecture.
NATO forces have intercepted four missiles fired from Iran toward Türkiye since the outbreak of the war, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
The missiles were believed to be targeting NATO assets, including an advanced early-warning radar system at Kurecik in eastern Türkiye and Incirlik Air Base near the Syrian border, where hundreds of U.S. personnel are stationed.
The threat gave Ankara's longstanding pursuit of the SAMP/T renewed urgency.
Türkiye's negotiators believe France may be more receptive to the acquisition than in previous rounds, the Bloomberg sources said.
Ankara has long sought the SAMP/T batteries produced by the Franco-Italian firm Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and Thales, but France rejected previous requests.
Türkiye and Eurosam signed an accord on co-producing a missile-defense system in 2018, but subsequent French objections prevented further movement.
The negotiations with Italy were reported earlier by the Turkish media outlet, Türkiye daily's Yesim Eraslan.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler met with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Rome last month, where SAMP/T and similar systems, co-production, and technology sharing were discussed, according to a report by the Türkiye daily published March 21.
Italian Defense Minister Crosetto also said last month that Italy plans to send air, drone, and missile defenses to Arab Gulf nations.
Türkiye's priority is not simply purchasing a ready-made system but building a long-term business model that strengthens domestic capacity, the report noted.
The SAMP/T is of interest to Ankara because of its NATO compatibility, ballistic missile defense capability, openness to co-production and technology transfer, and its potential to serve as a "bridge solution" until domestic systems come fully online.
Ankara has been developing its layered air defense architecture, branded the "steel dome" concept, incorporating its domestically produced Hisar-A, Hisar-O, and Siper-1 systems.
The SAMP/T is seen as filling the long-range upper-tier gap in that architecture.
The SAMP/T is a mobile surface-to-air missile defense system capable of simultaneously engaging aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles.
Its next-generation version, the SAMP/T NG, is being developed through Franco-Italian collaboration under Eurosam and is set to enter service in 2026.
The system fires ASTER missiles with an operational range exceeding 150 kilometers, operates at altitudes up to approximately 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), and features radar capable of surveilling targets at ranges up to 400 kilometers while tracking over 1,000 simultaneous targets.
Denmark selected the SAMP/T NG in September 2025 for its long-range air and missile defense needs.
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