The Norwegian Government has decided to offer both military equipment and arms support to enable Ukraine to defend itself against the military attack from Russia. This is in line with Norway’s close allies and the other Nordic countries. On Monday, the Norwegian Armed Forces sent off the first military equipment to Ukraine. This includes 1,500 bulletproof vests, 5,000 helmets, 15,000 field rations, 1,000 gas masks with filters, 2,000 sleeping bags, 10,000 sleeping pads, and clothing. Monday afternoon, the Norwegian government also decided to donate up to 2,000 M72 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. These weapons will be sent from Norway as soon as possible. The equipment was flown to Poland by a Norwegian C-130J Hercules. From Poland, the equipment will be distributed to Ukrainian authorities.
This is a contribution to support Ukraine in its defense against the military invasion. These are weapons that are easy to deploy and are used to defend against attacking armored vehicles. The Norwegian Armed Forces are now working to prepare and send the weapons as quickly as possible”, said Norwegian Minister of Defence, Odd Roger Enoksen.
“Norway has a restrictive policy about exporting defense-related products, but Ukraine is now in a desperate and extraordinary situation”, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon, also referred to as the Light Anti-Armor Weapon or LAW as well as LAWS: Light Anti-Armor Weapons System) is a portable one-shot 66-mm unguided anti-tank weapon. American production of the weapon began by Hesse-Eastern in 1963 and was terminated by 1983. The M72 weapon is locally manufactured in several countries, including Norway – which began licensed manufacture in 1966 for a local defense force requirement; and the United States. With more than a million systems delivered, the M72 represents one of the most successful shoulder-fired systems ever developed. Weapons standing the test of time, and continuously proving too effective in battle to be retired to a museum display – like Nammo’s M72 Shoulder-Fired Series – are being successfully used on the modern battlefield.
Nammo supported the recently completed U.S. qualification of a new M72 fire-from-enclosure (FFE) solution, ensuring troops are safe and avoiding injury when the M72 is fired from rooms, bunkers, or enclosures. This unique variant means that Soldiers and Marines do not have to reveal themselves to combatants when firing the weapon. Nammo Defense Systems Inc., Mesa, Arizona production of the FFE variants – known as the M72 Anti-Armor (A8) and M72 Anti-Structure Munition (A10) in U.S. military service – is to begin in 2021, with fielding expected in FY2022. This newest variant continues the heritage of a battlefield legend, meaning the M72 will be in service for many years to come. Name, short for Nordic Ammunition Company, is a Norwegian/Finnish aerospace and defense group specializing in the production of ammunition, rocket engines, and space applications. The company has also been able to circumvent Norwegian laws and avoid prosecution by outsourcing manufacturing to plants in the US, Finland, and Sweden.
