Ukraine puts Italian-Swiss "Skyguard" air defense system on public combat display for first time
Ukraine's 38th Regiment has for the first time publicly shown the "Skyguard/Aspide" air defense system on active combat duty, a system Italy and Spain began supplying to Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine's armed forces have for the first time openly revealed that the Italian-Swiss designed "Skyguard" air defense system, armed with "Aspide" missiles, is in active combat use. The system was shown by the 38th Regiment.
The "Aspide" missile is a Cold War-era design derived from the American "Sparrow" missile. Although the underlying technology dates back decades, the system continues to serve within Ukraine's air defense network.
Deliveries began in 2022
Italy and Spain began delivering "Skyguard/Aspide" systems to Ukraine in 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion began. This was one of several Western-supplied air defense systems Ukraine has used to try to protect its territory from aerial attacks.
The fact that the system is now being publicly shown on active combat duty indicates that Ukraine continues to rely on a mix of Western-supplied weaponry of varying ages, including equipment originally developed during the Cold War, which nonetheless retains combat value in the current conflict.
Precise details on the number of systems delivered, their deployment locations, or any further planned deliveries have not been publicly disclosed.
