Kongsberg receives order for NASAMS air defense system for Norway
2 August, 2024 NASAMS anti-aircraft missile system. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Norway The Norwegian government has ordered new NASAMS air defense systems from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
Kongsberg announced this. The order, worth £440 million, was placed against the backdrop of Norway's strengthened air defense. Also, under the signed contract, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense will be able to order a certain number of these systems under an option.
AMRAAM-ER missile launch from the Norwegian NASAMS SAM.Photo from open sources
"Air defense is crucial for the defense of both Norway and Ukraine. We are now increasing volume and upgrading the existing NASAMS system with modern equipment capable of intercepting a variety of threats," said Norway's Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram. It is expected that the delivery of additional NASAMS SAMs will begin only in 2027, as the company's facilities are currently fully utilized due to a large number of orders.
"The current security situation dictates that we must accelerate the development of air defense and the upgrade of NASAMS. This agreement ensures rapid delivery to the Armed Forces and contributes to increasing production capacity in the defense industry," he added. The contract includes a fixed-price option for more air defense with validity until January 2025.
NASAMS air defense system service.Photo from open sources
In total, the Norwegian Army will receive four fully equipped batteries, which, according to the manufacturer, will be delivered in one year. Militarnyi previously reported that the Norwegian company Kongsberg would supply Spain with the latest generation NASAMS air defense systems. The contract is worth about EUR410 million.
The Spanish army is currently implementing a program to strengthen its air defense system, including the modernization of four NASAMS batteries to version 2+ and the supply of one battery of the latest version of the NASAMS air defense system.