Ukraine and Norway are engaged in discussions about potentially manufacturing a new missile for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) within Ukraine, according to officials from Norway's Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace.
The talks center around developing a missile that can be mass-produced quickly to meet Ukraine's defense needs in its ongoing conflict with Russia. According to Kongsberg spokesman Ivar Simensen, the discussions began last year with "high-volume production" as the main objective.
NASAMS, jointly produced by Kongsberg and RTX (formerly Raytheon), has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in Ukraine's air defense efforts. Norwegian military officials report a 94% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles and drones, with over 900 successful intercepts recorded.
The current NASAMS configuration can launch three different RTX-manufactured missiles: the AMRAAM, AMRAAM-Extended Range, and the AIM-9X Sidewinder. The proposed new missile would likely be less technologically complex than these existing options to facilitate rapid, large-scale production.
The potential collaboration aligns with Ukraine's broader strategy to expand its domestic defense manufacturing capabilities. Ukraine has already established partnerships with major international defense companies including Germany's Rheinmetall, Britain's BAE Systems, and Turkey's Baykar for local weapons production.
The initiative falls under Ukraine's recently established Defense Industries Alliance, which facilitates partnerships between international defense manufacturers and Ukrainian defense industries. Currently, NASAMS is utilized by 13 military forces worldwide.