NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, also known as the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) is a distributed and networked short- to medium-range ground-based

air defense system Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

developed by

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is one of three business units of Kongsberg Gruppen (KONGSBERG) of Norway and the supplier of defence and space related systems and products, mainly anti-ship missiles, military communications, and command and weapon ...

(KDA) and

Raytheon Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitaliza ...

. The system defends against

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

s (UAVs), helicopters,

cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...

unmanned combat aerial vehicle An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, colloquially shortened as drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance ...

s (UCAVs), and fixed wing aircraft, firing any of a wide range of existing missiles. NASAMS was the first application of a surface-launched

AIM-120 AMRAAM The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced ), is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. It is 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter, and employs ...

(Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile). NASAMS 2 is an upgraded version of the system capable of using

Link 16 Link 16 is a military tactical data link network used by NATO and nations allowed by the MIDS International Program Office (IPO). Its specification is part of the family of Tactical Data Links. With Link 16, military aircraft as well as ship ...

, which has been operational since 2007. , NASAMS 3 is the latest upgrade; deployed in 2019, it adds capability to fire

AIM-9 Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has prov ...

and IRIS-T SLS short-range missiles () and AMRAAM-ER extended-range missiles (), and introduces mobile air-liftable launchers. NASAMS has proven interoperability with longer range systems such as

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

Development

Development of NASAMS began in the 1980s when

(KDA) teamed up with

Hughes Missile Systems The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of Hughes Tool Company. The company was known for producing, among other prod ...

and Hughes Aircraft Ground Systems Group and initiated the program as a cooperative effort for the

Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...

(RNoAF). As originally envisioned, NASAMS would replace two

Nike Hercules The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, bu ...

facilities in defending Norway's southern air bases, where it would act in conjunction with F-16s in providing a layered defense. The integrated air defense

battle management Battle command (BC) is the discipline of visualizing, describing, directing, and leading forces in operations against a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy. Battle command applies leadership to translate decision into actions, by synchronizing ...

command and control system, based on KS500F computers and the KMC9000 control console with two color CRT displays, was first developed for the Norwegian Adapted Hawk (NOAH) program, an upgrade to the MIM-23B Improved Hawk semi-active radar head, surface-to-air missile system. This command and control system integrated existing

AN/MPQ-46 The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK ("Homing all the way killer") is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was designed to be a much more mobile counterpart to the MIM-14 Nike Hercules, trading off range and altitude capability for a much sm ...

High Power Illuminator Doppler Radar (HPIR) with

AN/TPQ-36 Hughes AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder weapon locating system is a mobile radar system developed in the mid-late 1970s by Hughes Aircraft Company and manufactured by Northrop Grumman and ThalesRaytheonSystems, achieving initial operational capability i ...

counter-battery radar, modified into a

three-dimensional Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called ''parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the informal ...

low-attitude airspace surveillance radar with the TPQ-36A software upgrade. The upgraded NOAH would still engage only one target per launcher pad, which was insufficient to counter the emerging threat of massive firing of cruise missiles. Thus RNoAF ordered further development of a distributed, network-centric air defense system with multiple launchers and radars. The MIM-23B missile was replaced with the

active radar homing Active radar homing (ARH) is a missile guidance method in which a missile contains a radar transceiver (in contrast to semi-active radar homing, which uses only a receiver) and the electronics necessary for it to find and track its target aut ...

AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, which also uses an inertial navigation system during initial approach, and the TPQ-36A radar was upgraded to the rotating AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel configuration. Test launches were performed in June 1993; the system had an initial operational capability in late 1994 – early 1995, and was fully operationally fielded in 1998. An enhanced NASAMS 2 was developed in the 2000s and became operational in 2006, while a third generation, NASAMS 3, was developed in the 2010s and fielded in 2019.

First generation NASAMS

The system integrates US-built TPQ-36A air defense

X band The X band is the designation for a band of frequencies in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of the X band is rather indefinitely set at approxim ...

3D radar and

AMRAAM The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced ), is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. It is 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter, and employs ...

missiles with a Norwegian developed battle management

C4I Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

(command, control, communication, computers and intelligence) system called FDC, short for Fire Distribution Center. The FDC connected to a radar forms an "Acquisition Radar and Control System" (ARCS). NASAMS capabilities are enhanced by the system's networked and distributed nature. The shelter module hosts two identical consoles for the Tactical Control Officer (TCO) and the Tactical Control Assistant (TCA). The AMRAAM missile is fired from a towed launcher with six missile canisters. The standard AMRAAM missile has a horizontal range of up to 25 km. Other sources cite a range of "over 15 km" and 40 km for the extended range version. By the late 1990s, RNoAF formed an integrated ground-based air defense system known as the Norwegian Solution (NORSOL), by connecting NASAMS battle management ARCS stations with two other air defense systems via field wires and radio. Subordinate weapon systems included the

RBS 70 RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of ...

laser beam assisted

MANPADS Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters. Overview MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...

system and the

Bofors AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years. History Located in ...

40mm L70 gun (controlled by the

Oerlikon Contraves Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products. Oerlikon Contr ...

FCS2000

monopulse Monopulse radar is a radar system that uses additional encoding of the radio signal to provide accurate directional information. The name refers to its ability to extract range and direction from a single signal pulse. Monopulse radar avoids prob ...

doppler tracking radar). The solution integrated all three systems (NASAMS, RBS70, and L70/FCS200) to provide battlefield awareness to commanders of all echelons, and to ensure protection of friendly aircraft while preventing overkill (i.e. engagement of a single threat by multiple air-defense units) and underkill (failure to engage the threat by any unit).

NASAMS 2

The RNoAF together with KDA conducted a mid-life update of NASAMS in the early 2000s, called NASAMS 2, and the upgraded version was first handed over to RNoAF in mid-2006. The major difference between the two versions is the use of standard

tactical data link A tactical data link (TDL) uses a data link standard in order to provide communication via radio waves or cable used by NATO nations. All military C3 systems use standardized TDL to transmit, relay and receive tactical data. Multi-TDL network ...

s (

Link 11 TADIL-A/Link 11 is a secure half-duplex tactical data link used by NATO to exchange digital data. It was originally developed by a joint committee including members from the Canadian Navy, US Navy and Royal Navy to pass accurate targeting inform ...

JREAP {{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) The Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol (JREAP) enables tactical data messages to be transmitted over long-distance networks, e.g. satellite links, thereby extending the range of Ta ...

, ATDL-1 etc.), as well as a better ground radar. Full operational capability (FOC) was expected for 2007. A complete NASAMS 2 battery consists of up to four firing units; each firing unit includes 3 missile launchers (LCHR) each carrying six AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, one AN/MPQ-64F1 Improved Sentinel radar, one Fire Distribution Center vehicle, and one electro-optical camera vehicle (MSP500). The Improved Sentinel radar has a broader frequency spectrum, variable rotation speed, and increased capacity to detect and follow targets. The radar platform comes with its own power supply and can be mounted on a variety of vehicles. Each radar can process and distribute the data independently, and can be connected via radio links, cable, through

Multi Rolle Radio Multi Rolle Radio (English: Multi Role Radio) is a modular radio set which supports high speed frequency hopping and strong encryption. It was ordered in early 1993 and first put to operative use in mid-1995. It operates on standard military VHF ...

, or through TADKOM. The MSP500

electro-optical sensor Electro-optical sensors are electronic detectors that convert light, or a change in light, into an electronic signal. These sensors are able to detect electromagnetic radiation from the infrared up to the ultraviolet wavelengths. They are used in ...

from

Rheinmetall Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt stock exchange. History Rheinmetall was founded in 1889. Banker and investor Lorenz Zuckermandel L ...

is equipped with a

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in ...

and a TV camera, as well as an upgraded

thermographic camera Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared ...

. These can be used to fire the missiles passively, which has been successfully tested. Fire Distribution Centers (FDCs) can form a network with geographically distributed sensors and use either centralised or distributed

data fusion Data fusion is the process of integrating multiple data sources to produce more consistent, accurate, and useful information than that provided by any individual data source. Data fusion processes are often categorized as low, intermediate, or hig ...

to process radar tracks and form a complete airspace picture for the Tactical Control Officer (TCO).Terje Johnsen, Brita Hafskjold, Svein Fagerlund, Tor Erik Strand, Arnstein Jense
Data Fusion for Improved Air Picture Generation in Air Defence Systems
(23 December 2005). DOI 10.14339/RTO-MP-SCI-143 Each command post includes two color displays with a task-based common tactical operation control (CTOC) interface. The control system can detach itself from the sensors in order to become less visible. Operators can switch to a centralized control role by running operation center software (GBADOC). An optional Tactical Control Center (TCC) vehicle, similar to the Batallion Operations Center (BOC) for the Hawk XXI upgrade, includes a third command post which can be used for this role. The control modules can be mounted on a large variety of vehicles. Each module can automatically determine its position using electronic northfinder and GPS receiver.

NASAMS 3

In April 2019, RNoAF fielded the upgraded NASAMS 3 system; in May 2019, the first live firing tests were conducted. NASAMS 3 comes with updated Fire Distribution Center station, an "ADX" console that has ergonomic control surfaces and three 30" flat-panel displays. The redesigned Mk 2 canister launcher can fire AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II short-range missiles and AMRAAM-ER missiles from its launching rails, in addition to AIM-120 AMRAAM. AMRAAM-ER is an extended range upgrade based on

Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile The RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. ESSM also has the ...

rocket motor paired with two-stage AMRAAM guidance head, expanding its engagement envelope with a 50 percent increase in maximum range and 70 percent increase in maximum altitude, giving a maximum range of about 50 km. The extended range missile will have greater ability to take down fast flying and hard-maneuvering targets. In May 2019 the AIM-9X Block II was test fired from NASAMS launchers at the Andøya Space Center in Norway. By 2019, a new short-range 'Mobile Ground Based Air Defense System' configuration had been developed, intended for initial deployment with

Brigade Nord Brigade Nord (Brig. N.; Northern Brigade) is the major combat formation and only brigade of the Norwegian Army. The Brigade will raise 1 new Armoured Battalion in 2026-32. 2nd Battalion are converting to Armoured Battalion from 2020. It is mostly ba ...

of the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army ( no, Hæren) is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway ...

. Each battery includes six mobile short-range ()

IRIS-T The IRIS-T ("thermography, InfraRed Imaging System Tail/thrust vectoring, Thrust Vector-Controlled") is a medium range infrared homing missile available in both air-to-air missile, air-to-air and ground defence surface-to-air missile, surface- ...

missiles that can utilize either

IRIS-T SL The IRIS-T ("InfraRed Imaging System Tail/ Thrust Vector-Controlled") is a medium range infrared homing missile available in both air-to-air and ground defence surface-to-air variants. The missile was developed in the late 1990s–early 2000 ...

S missile launchers mounted on tracked vehicles or the three-wheeled M1152A1

HMMWV The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the ori ...

-based High Mobility Launcher (HML) for the AIM-120 AMRAAM which were originally developed for the U.S. Army

SLAMRAAM The SLAMRAAM (Surface Launched AMRAAM) was the US Army program to develop a Humvee-based surface-to-air missile launcher for the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, manufactured by Raytheon Technologies and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. Surface-launched ...

project and can be air-lifted by

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...

C-17 Globemaster The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...

. The High Mobility Launcher is capable of launching both AIM-120 and AIM-9X from its four launching rails, and can be equipped with two additional rails. World Leader! The Enhanced NASAMS passes Gate 2
ADBR Defence Industy Integrated. Vol 38 – Special Supplement 1 IRIS-T launchers and support vehicles will be based on

Armoured Combat Support Vehicle The LAV 6, sometimes written as LAV 6.0 or LAV VI, is the fourth generation of LAV, and is based on the LAV III. The first vehicles were delivered in 2013 and after testing entered service in 2016. The Canadian Army plans to replace its entire L ...

(ACSV) and upgraded M113 ( M577A2) command vehicles, and will be equipped with XENTA-M

X-band The X band is the designation for a band of frequencies in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of the X band is rather indefinitely set at approxim ...

radars designed by

Weibel Scientific Weibel Scientific is a Danish engineering company that has specialised in the design and manufacture of doppler radar systems. It has been in operation since 1936, originally being named ''M. P. Weibel'' and having worked as an electronics busine ...

. In June 2019, Australia ordered a locally made version of NASAMS 3 with CEA tactical (CEATAC) and towed CEA operational (CEAOPS)

AESA Aesa or Aisa ( grc, Αἶσα) was a town of ancient Macedonia. Aesa belonged to the Delian League since it appears on a tribute list to Athens in 434/3 BCE. The editors of the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World identify Aesa wi ...

radars, High Mobility Launchers and radar carries built on

Hawkei PMV The Hawkei is a light four-wheel-drive protected mobility vehicle originally designed to meet an Australian Defence Force (ADF) requirement for a light armoured patrol vehicle to replace some of its Land Rover Perentie variants. The Hawkei is a ...

vehicles instead of HMMWV, and Fire Distribution Center shelters produced at the Raytheon Australia's facility at

Mawson Lakes Mawson Lakes is a residential suburb in the City of Salisbury, Adelaide, Australia. Named in honor of Sir Douglas Mawson, it has a census area population of 10,872 people. The suburb is located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide around 12 ...

. The system also includes Raytheon AN/AAS-52

Multispectral Multispectral imaging captures image data within specific wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters or detected with the use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, ...

Targeting System (MTS)-A, an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) guidance system with a high resolution day/night imaging sensor, and integrated laser rangefinder. The ADF plans to spend A$2.5 billion on its NASAMS-based air-defence network. In October 2021, Raytheon announced that NASAMS 3 will be upgraded with GhostEye MR, a new medium-range

S-band The S band is a designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for a part of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum covering frequencies from 2 to 4 gigahertz (GHz). Thus it crosses the conventional ...

AESA radar based on GhostEye (formerly LTAMDS) technology developed for the

MIM-104 Patriot The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar compon ...

system. In March 2022, Raytheon demonstrated that the High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) can be paired with NASAMS to destroy a swarm of drone targets.

Missiles

The AMRAAM is one of the most widely used air-to-air missiles in the world, and stockpiles of it are higher than any other comparable system. As NASAMS uses existing air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder, AMRAAM, and AMRAAM-ER, there may be thousands of older missiles in NATO's arsenal that can be fired from a NASAMS battery without change. The AIM-9X variant includes an internal cooling system, eliminating the need for launch-rail nitrogen supply required by older variants of the missile. A report has described NASAMS as "extremely well suited to Ukraine because of the massive numbers of missiles that NATO and allies can supply, specifically for the air defence system." In particular, older AMRAAM A and B models have been replaced, making available many older missiles which could be sent to Ukraine. For example the UK government has offered to donate " ndreds of additional air defence missiles" including the AMRAAMs. File:20180328 AIM-120 Udvar-Hazy.jpg, AIM-120 AMRAAM File:AMRAAM-ER.jpg, AMRAAM-ER File:AIM-9X Sidewinder.jpg,

AIM-9X Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has prov ...

Service history

In the US, several NASAMS were used to guard air space over

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

during the 2005 United States presidential inauguration, and are used to protect air space around the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

. In 2017, Lithuania ordered the NASAMS-3 to improve its own air defense capabilities; two batteries were delivered in 2020. In April 2017, Australia approved a single-supplier-limited Request for Tender (RFT) to Raytheon Australia to develop NASAMS for the ADF short-range ground-based air-defence system. On 20 June 2019, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (Norway) was awarded a US$185 million contract by Raytheon Australia for delivery of NASAMS components, while Raytheon Australia is the prime contractor to deliver NASAMS to the Australian Government Land 19 Phase 7B program. The Australian version of NASAMS GBAD will use locally made components, Defence minister

Marise Payne Marise Ann Payne (born 29 July 1964) is an Australian politician who served in the Morrison Government as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and as Minister for Women from 2019 to 2022. She has been a Senator for New South Wales sin ...

announced first-pass approval on 10 April 2017. By September 2021, the first two Fire Distribution Centres for the Australian NASAMS had passed factory acceptance tests. By February 2022, the Mk2 canister for NASAMS launchers had been completed; it was planned to deliver three canister launchers in 2022. In 2019,

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

placed an order for AMRAAM-ER missiles as part of a NASAMS purchase. On 1 July 2022, the United States through the Pentagon announced, as part of an $820 million military aid package to

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, the delivery of NASAMS air defense systems through the

Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative or USAI is a U.S. Department of Defense-led funding program to increase Ukraine's capacity to defend itself more effectively against Russian aggression through the further training of its Armed Forces, equipm ...

(USAI) during the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. A US defence official said the existing Ukrainian air defense systems are Soviet-type systems, so over time it will be harder to sustain them. This is part of updating Ukrainian air defence from Soviet-era to a modern one. The systems being supplied may come from Norwegian stocks and may be retired units. On 29 July 2022, the US DoD disclosed that it had started the formal process of acquiring two NASAMS batteries of 12 mobile launchers, each having six missiles, for Ukraine. On 24 August 2022, the US DoD announced that it would provide six additional NASAMS units "with additional munitions" to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). The Pentagon said in late September 2022 that the NASAMS would start to be delivered in "two months or so". The initial NASAMS batteries for Ukraine arrived in early November 2022. The Pentagon stated that NASAMS had a 100% success rate during the Russian missile strikes on 15 November 2022, and Ukrainian President

Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...

disclosed that the system shot down 10 missiles out of 10 targeted. The US government has been trying to obtain more NASAMS from the Middle Eastern countries as manufacturing a new system from scratch with the current production rates may take two years. According to

CEO Greg Hayes, the systems obtained from the Middle Eastern countries would later be replaced by the new ones. However, Mr Hayes denied that these Middle Eastern countries would have to wait 2 years to obtain new NASAMS: "Just because it takes 24 months to build, it doesn’t mean it’s going to take 24 months to get in hecountry."

Operators

NASAMS has been exported to the United States, with the NASAMS 2 upgrade having been exported to Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Oman, and Chile. There were 13 official operators as of September 2022. Kongsberg stated: "NASAMS is in operational use in Norway, Spain, USA, the Netherlands, Finland, Oman, Lithuania, Indonesia and one undisclosed customer. The system is in production for Australia, Qatar, Hungary and Ukraine. NASAMS is in use with both Armies and Air Forces around the world. In addition Poland, Greece and Turkey operate the Kongsberg Command and Control solution for various weapon systems." * – Contract for NASAMS-3 signed in March 2017, valued at A$2.5 billion. The system will be locally-assembled by Raytheon Australia and will replace

RBS-70 RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of ...

systems in service. Australia received its first launchers in 2022. * – Ordered in 2011. * – Selected NASAMS-2 in 2009. * – Two NASAMS-2 batteries delivered and in service as of 2020. * – Two NASAMS-3 batteries delivered in 2020, each with four launchers as a part of a $128 million deal. As of mid-2022, Lithuania is in the process of acquiring more units. * – Two batteries in 2006, each consisting of 1 fire-control center, 1 AN/MPQ-64M2 radar and 3 launchers, with a

Hensoldt Hensoldt AG ''(HENSOLDT)'' is a multinational corporation headquartered in Germany which focuses on sensor technologies for protection and surveillance missions in the Military, defence, security and aerospace sectors. The main product areas are r ...

TRML-3D/32 search radar. * — NASAMS-2 and NASAMS-3. * – Ordered in January 2014, for a sum of $1.28 billion. * – Four fire units NASAMS-2 acquired in 2003. * – Ukraine announced they received the NASAMS system from the US in November 2022, and another procurement by Canada in January 2023. * – Used with

AN/TWQ-1 Avenger The Avenger Air Defense System, designated AN/TWQ-1 under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System, is an American self-propelled surface-to-air missile system which provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units agains ...

for additional protection to high-value targets and Washington D.C.

Future operators

* – Ordered in November 2020 in a $1b contract, with 60 pieces of AMRAAM-ER C7/C8 missiles valued at $230M; planned delivery in 2023. * – Ordered in July 2019. Qatar is the first country to procure AMRAAM-ER, the surface-to-air extended-range variant.

Potential operators

* : In 2018 India seriously considered acquiring NASAMS, but ultimately did not. The Indian Air Force said that it preferred to invest in the country's own multi-tiered Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program. * and : In 2022, Latvia and Estonia signed a letter of intent on a joint purchase of medium-range air defense systems. Latvia was to work on the creation of a medium-range air defense system without delay. * : Requested to buy 63 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); 63 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles; 12 Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems – Low Volume Terminal (MIDS LVT) Block Upgrade 2; and 12 MIDS LVT Cryptographic Modules. Approved by US State Department as Foreign Military Sale in October 2022. * – The US government agreed to let Taiwan buy NASAMS air defense missile systems, during the annual Monterey Talks security meeting between both sides in Annapolis in June 2022. According to the news report, Taiwan will be allowed to buy the latest variant of NASAMS, which can fire AIM-9X, AMRAAM, and AMRAAM-ER missiles. Taiwan decided to purchase "more than four" NASAMS systems, following the US approval. The purchase will not be carried out until 2024, due to the demand on production capabilities for Ukraine.

References

External links

Kongsberg.com NASAMS pageRoyal Norwegian Air Force Air and Missile Defence Team Page 1Royal Norwegian Air Force Air and Missile Defence Team Page 2Royal Norwegian Air Force Home PageNASAMS II (fact sheet in {{in lang, no
Kongsberg Gruppen Military equipment introduced in the 1990s Missile defense Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons of the United States Surface-to-air missiles of Norway Surface-to-air missiles of the United States Weapons of Norway