The Norwegian defense procurement agency has officially awarded defense technology company Kongsberg a deal worth 583 million Norwegian krone (approx. $63.7 million) for the acquisition of mobile ground based air defense systems for the Norwegian Army.
The system was first presented by the country’s defense minister in February 2017 as a direct acquisition process with Kongsberg.
The Army mobile ground based air defense system is a mobile, short-range air defense system that will reuse key capabilities from the NASAMS (National/Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) to include its command and control and unique network solutions.
In addition to elements from the NASAMS, this air defense system will include the IRIS-T missile from Diehl Defence GmbH and a radar from Weibel Scientific A/S.
“The Army mobile ground based air defense systems provides the Norwegian Army a unique capability to provide air defense throughout their maneuver operations,” said Eirik Lie, president Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS.
“The contract we signed will enable the army to receive a modular, flexible and rapidly deployable air defense system that will with great efficiency defend the Army maneuver formations,” Rear Admiral Bjørge Aase, Deputy Commander of the Defense Material Organisation, added.
The project is expected to be completed by 2030.
