France provides air defense systems but no missiles to Ukraine
France was the first European country to provide Ukraine with Crotale air defense missile systems; but ironically, France provided weapons but not ammunition.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•03/06/2025
In December 2022, France provided Ukraine with two Crotale low-altitude air defense missile battalions. The Crotale system's primary mission is to intercept low-altitude targets, an important task on the Ukrainian battlefield. Crotale uses the VT-1 interceptor missile, with a speed of Mach 3.5 and a maximum effective range of 11 km, designed to destroy UAVs, cruise missiles, helicopters and low-flying aircraft. The Crotale air defense system, an “all-in-one” arrangement, includes a pulse-Doppler radar and infrared guidance, enabling it to track and intercept targets with high precision in all weather conditions and even in dense electronic warfare environments.
In the Ukrainian battlefield, Crotale has proven effective against the Russian Geran-2 UAV (Ukraine calls it Shahed-136), which flies at an altitude of less than 6 km and a speed of less than 200 km/h. In addition, in March 2023, a video released by the Ukrainian Air Force showed a Crotale NG launcher successfully intercepting a Russian cruise missile. However, for the past 18 months, both battalions of Ukraine’s Crotale missiles have been “laid down” due to running out of missiles. Without VT-1 missiles, this Ukrainian air defense system can do nothing to counter threats. For example, Russia’s Kalibr cruise missiles, which fly at altitudes of 50-100 meters to avoid radar, are ideal targets for the Crotale system, but need a constant supply of missiles to maintain combat capability. Compared to other systems in Ukraine's air defense arsenal, Crotale occupies an important place. If the US-supplied Patriot PAC-3, with a range of 100 km and a flight ceiling of 24 km, is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, it is too much for low-altitude UAVs. The Norwegian-supplied NASAMS air defense missile system has a range of 40 km and is effective against cruise missiles, but does not have the rapid response capabilities of the Crotale for close-in defense. The German IRIS-T SLM, with a range of 40 km and a 20 km air defense altitude, offers a balanced capability, but is not optimized for the ultra-low altitude threats that the Crotale targets. The Soviet-era S-300 air defense system, still in use by Ukraine, has a longer range but struggles against modern UAVs due to its outdated radar system. The Crotale’s compact design and rapid transition from a moving position to a combat position of just five minutes make it an ideal air defense weapon for defending mobile units and urban areas; a versatility that larger systems cannot match. However, the lack of VT-1 missiles has undermined Ukraine’s layered defense strategy, which relies on a combination of short-, medium-, and long-range systems to counter Russia’s diverse air threats. The lack of missiles for the Crotale system has forced Ukraine to use more expensive missiles such as the Patriot or NASAMS for UAV interception missions.
France’s “abandoning” action highlights a broader problem, as European countries, including France, have struggled to balance support between “words and actions.” While the US has provided $75 billion in aid since 2022 to Ukraine, France’s contribution, while significant, is still “tiny” compared to the US, totaling €2.1 billion. France's decision to no longer supply VT-1 missiles to Ukraine shows a flaw in its strategic vision, as Ukraine's ability to resist attacks from Russia depends heavily on its ability to receive "sustainable" weapons aid. The Crotale NG system, developed by Thales and manufactured by MBDA, is a modern short-range air defence system, developed in the 1960s. Originally designed for South Africa under the name Cactus, the system was adopted by the French Air Force in 1972 and upgraded to the NG variant in 1990. The system consists of a reconnaissance radar, using the Mirador IV S-band pulse-Doppler radar, with a target detection range of up to 20 km with fighter aircraft, and two to four launchers, each with eight VT-1 missiles, using a Morton Thiokol solid-fuel engine, reaching a speed of Mach 3.5 and able to maneuver at 35G, making it extremely effective against targets with the ability to maneuver. The VT-1 missile has a 13 kg warhead, with a kill radius of 8 meters, optimized for destroying UAVs and cruise missiles. The system's Ku-band tracking radar and electro-optical sensors, including thermal and day cameras, allow for precise target locking at ranges up to 15 km, even in adverse conditions. The Crotale NG can track eight targets simultaneously and engage two within seconds, a capability that was demonstrated in Ukraine in March 2023.
The system's versatility extends to the naval version, used on French frigates such as the La Fayette class, where it is tasked with intercepting anti-ship missiles. The army version, supplied to Ukraine, is mounted on a trailer for rapid deployment and requires only two personnel, including a driver and an operator. The compact design of the Crotale NG system, with its 4.3-ton turret, allows it to be integrated into a variety of platforms, including trucks and armored vehicles. Compared to rivals such as the US Chaparral, which uses the shorter-range Sidewinder missile, or the Russian Pantsir-S1, which has a greater range of up to 15 km but is less mobile, the Crotale NG offers a balance of speed, accuracy and mobility. However, the limitations of Crotale NG include the inability to intercept ballistic missiles; in addition, the system only uses missiles, without anti-aircraft guns, so it cannot fight at close range. In particular, the VT-1 missile costs about 200,000–300,000 euros per missile, which would be economically ineffective, if it were to shoot down a Russian Geran-2 UAV, which costs only 10,000–20,000 USD. As Russian attacks increased, with more than 300 airstrikes reported in a single day in May 2025, the grounding of the Crotale systems left a gap that other air defense systems could not fully fill. The situation required urgent action from France to address production bottlenecks, streamline logistics, and prioritize Ukraine’s needs.
If France does not continue to deliver missiles (which it has reportedly run out of), Ukraine’s air defenses will continue to deteriorate, potentially changing the course of the conflict. Can France, a key NATO member, afford to let this shortage persist, or will it rise to the challenge before Ukraine’s skies become undefendable? (photo source: Bulgarian Military, Al Jazeera, Wikipedia). French Crotale low-altitude air defense system. Source X
The Soviet-era S-300 air defense system, still in use by Ukraine, has a longer range but struggles against modern UAVs due to its outdated radar system. The Crotale’s compact design and rapid transition from a moving position to a combat position of just five minutes make it an ideal air defense weapon for defending mobile units and urban areas; a versatility that larger systems cannot match. 
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