Two of the contracted batteries replace donated equipment and are financed through the Nansen programme. The remaining two form part of the planned strengthening of Norway’s air defences.
The agency, known as NDMA, handed over the battery to the Royal Norwegian Air Force at Ørland Air Station. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and NDMA director Gro Jære attended the ceremony, which also marked the opening of a building housing air defence batteries, battalion leadership and the Air Defence Tactical School.
“With the deliveries of new NASAMS batteries, we are taking important steps to strengthen Norway’s air defences,” Jære said. “We are replacing equipment donated to Ukraine while also building additional capacity in our own defence.”
NASAMS IV incorporates modern launchers and fire distribution centres, improved performance and greater flexibility against different threats. New vehicles and trailers provide better mobility.
“This is more than a replacement for what we gave away,” Jære said. “We are delivering a new generation of NASAMS with modern technology and greater flexibility.”
Work to replace the donated equipment began immediately after Norway supplied air defence materiel to Ukraine in spring 2023. NDMA signed the first contract for new batteries in January 2024, around nine months after that work started.
Jære said the latest battery was delivered according to plan and within its financial framework despite high demand for defence equipment, pressure on production capacity and long delivery times. She attributed the pace of implementation to close cooperation between the armed forces, defence ministry, procurement agency and industry.
The handover forms part of a broader modernisation effort covering new radars, missiles, electro-optical sensors and training systems. New NASAMS command posts are scheduled for delivery from late 2027 to 2029.
NDMA has worked with the air force and 132 Air Wing on planning, receipt and handover, including local arrangements at Ørland to coordinate the military, project organisation and suppliers. That cooperation is intended to support integration of the equipment and its introduction into operational use.
NASAMS IV has been developed through longstanding Norwegian-American industrial cooperation, with Kongsberg as the main supplier and Raytheon providing missiles. Støre highlighted lessons from the system’s use against Russian missile and drone attacks in Ukraine as important to the further development of Norwegian air defence.
“It is a strength for Norway that we have a defence industry with the expertise to develop, produce and further develop such systems,” Jære said. “In the current security situation, this is not just about technology, but also about preparedness and security of supply.”
