Why SAMP-T Might Be Ukraine's BEST Hope Against Russia

Wes O'Donnell November 17, 2025
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Wes O'Donnell

@wesodonnellx

About

Recovering journalist. Veteran. Juris Doctor. I don't report the news, but I do report my opinion. I am a veteran of both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force for a total of 10 years of service. If credentials matter, I have a BA in international relations, speak very bad Russian, and have a Master's in Business Administration. Oh, I just graduated law school at Western Michigan University where I spent every penny of my GI Bill entitlement. Debt-free J.D.! I write on Medium and run the "Eyes Only" newsletter on Substack where I talk about global security, military technology, and how much I hate authoritarians.

Video Description

Russia has figured out how to punch holes in Ukraine’s Patriot defenses, and France and Italy may have just answered the call with a system that performs better when the missiles start flying. In this video, I break down why Ukraine’s Patriot PAC-3 MSE batteries are suddenly struggling against Russia’s Iskander ballistic missiles, and why the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system is quietly stepping up where Patriot is slipping. Russia didn’t magically upgrade the Iskander. By adjusting flight paths, attack angles, and approach vectors, they began steering these missiles straight into Patriot’s radar blind zones. A system designed around fixed geometry suddenly found itself fighting ghosts. Meanwhile, SAMP/T shrugged and went to work. The French army chief himself confirmed it. The SAMP/T’s radar coverage, sensor architecture, and interceptor flexibility allow it to catch missiles coming in from angles that leave Patriot blind. Same threat. Same battlefield. Different result. And in war, results are the only metric that matters. I walk through how: • Patriot’s radar has narrow search and tracking sectors, creating exploitable blind spots • Russia spent two years mapping those blind spots • Iskanders are now approaching from angles Patriot doesn’t see in time • SAMP/T’s 360-degree engagement and Aster missile geometry handle these trajectories better • Ukraine must now rethink its layered air-defense doctrine If you want a clear, no-nonsense explanation of why missiles are slipping through and how Ukraine can push those interception rates back up, stick around. This is the future of high-end air defense, unfolding in real time. Subscribe if you want real defense analysis instead of recycled talking points. And as always, glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes. Crimea is Ukraine. tldr: The Russia Ukraine war continues with both sides adapting their tactics. Ukraine's Patriot air defense system faces new challenges, while the SAMP-T air defense system shows promise in countering modern threats. This missile launch showcases the ongoing evolution of military tech. Video Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pd2ds9Kpi_96W5kvQ88HVxe_7RVDeYVb0EHl8hVGgQI/edit?usp=sharing #Ukraine #France #Italy #UkraineWar #News #Patriot #SAMPT #AirDefense #Russia #Iskander #BallisticMissiles #NATO #UkraineVictory

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