Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, the Norwegian firm, has revealed that the Norwegian government intends to order an additional 10 NASAMS launch units and four fire control centres from the company for donation to Ukraine.
The firm stated that the new order is subject to approval by the Norwegian parliament and will be in addition to repurchasing the equipment already donated to Ukraine.
“The Norwegian NASAMs system saves Ukrainian lives and prevents the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. The Russian missile and drone attacks are extensive and brutal, making air defence absolutely decisive for Ukraine. At the same time, I am concerned that we reacquire air defences for our own defence as quickly as possible,” said Norwegian defence minister Bjørn Arild Gram in a statement.
While Norway has already delivered the first two NASAMS systems last year, the plan to send ten more systems worth $326 million represents its commitment to support Ukraine.
Ukraine also received these air defence systems from the United States and Lithuania.
NASAMS is a ground-based short-range air defence system jointly developed by the Norwegian firm Kongsberg and the US firm Raytheon Technologies. The missile fired by NASAMS is a ground-launched variant of the American AIM-120 AMRAAM. The system is capable of shooting down aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones at ranges of up to 30 km.
In April 2023, the Ukrainian air force claimed that NASAMS had destroyed more than 100 missiles and drones in the first 5 months of its operations in Ukraine.
According to reports, NASAMS systems are playing a crucial role in defending critical military and civilian installations in Ukraine against cruise missiles and kamikaze drone attacks along with German IRIS T systems.
In November 2023, Germany announced a 1.3 billion euros military assistance package, including four additional IRIS-T systems, along with other systems, with deliveries to be completed by 2025.
In conclusion, Norway’s plan to supply ten more NASAMS systems to Ukraine underscores its commitment to strengthening Ukrainian air defence against escalating attacks by Russia. Coupled with IRIST systems, both point defense systems are effectively protecting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and military installations against cruise missile and drone attacks.
