Norway has for several years deployed the air defense system NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System), which consists of launch units with missiles, command and control stations, radars and electro-optical sensors. Now the radars, called "AN/MPQ-64", are to be upgraded by replacing certain parts.
“The purpose of the upgrade is to ensure that the NASAMS air defense system maintains its ability to detect, identify and combat air threats. The upgrade will give the NASAMS radars the same configuration and status as our partners and with the same functionality of new radars. This upgrade contributes to a further modernization of Norway's air defence,” says Brigadier General Jarle Nergård, Head of the Air Systems Division at FMA.
“The planned upgrades continue the development of NASAMS and take advantage of advances developed in collaboration with other NASAMS user nations. The large and increasing number of NASAMS users contributes to the continuous development of the system,” says Kjetil Myhra, Executive Vice President Integrated Defence Systems at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
NASAMS is a mobile system with high operational flexibility for the protection of assets such as air bases, ports, armed forces or populated areas. It is in use in 13 countries, including Norway, US and Ukraine.
The contract for upgrading new NASAMS radars is entered into with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and has a value of NOK 365 million. The first radar is being upgraded by the manufacturer Raytheon Missile and Defense, who will also supply the upgrade modules. Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services will be responsible for the remaining upgrades of the radars. The project will be completed by the end of 2025.
