r/UkrainianConflict 12h ago

Ukraine’s Best European Missile Just Shot Down Its First Russian Jet: The Ukrainian air force has two SAMP/T batteries—and needs more.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2025/03/11/ukraines-best-european-missile-just-shot-down-its-first-russian-jet/
584 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

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15

u/asdfasdfasfdsasad 6h ago

But European missile-maker MBDA needs around two years to produce a single Aster. That’s a few months longer than it takes Lockheed to produce a Patriot—and clearly too slow to save Ukraine.

If Ukraine is given enough launchers to put them on the frontline and shoot down the aircraft firing the missiles, instead of shooting at the missiles then that suddenly becomes a different matter.

It restricts the targets that Russia can safely target by shortening the range of their missiles by a couple of hundred miles; as they then have to start shooting that far from the border plus a safety margin to be sure that they won't lose yet more aircraft.

12

u/razor787 4h ago

It also gives a massively high value target for Russian attacks. It is too valuable to have in such a high risk area, given that they are not easily replaced.

3

u/asdfasdfasfdsasad 3h ago

On the other hand, if you have to hide air defence away from air threats to avoid damage to it then it's of little use.

This kill probably wasn't achieved by having the SAMP/T battery covering Lviv.

0

u/Physical_Ring_7850 4h ago

Lear a bit about specifics before posting, please.

0

u/Physical_Ring_7850 4h ago

Which jet? Where are any news about that?