Financial support from the Norwegian authorities and EU’s ASAP program contributes to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) investing in more than NOK 640 million to increase their missile production capacity. The security policy situation in Europe has increased the need to ensure the availability and supply of ammunition and missiles. Last year, the European commission launched the ASAP program (Act in Support of Ammunition Production) to support the industry’s capability to increase the production capacity for ammunition and missiles. During the last years, KONGSBERG has implemented several measures to increase the production capacity, such as the investment of a new missile factory in the city of Kongsberg, opening this summer. Now the capacity increases further – with the support from EU and Norway.
“The support from the Norwegian and European authorities contributes to our ability to implement concrete measures to further strengthen KONGSBERG’s missile production capacity, reduce lead times and enhance the supply chain,” says Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
KONGSBERG’s investment includes equipment and machines to increase the capacity in the new missile factory, as well as a new facility to increase the production capacity for sensor components. In addition, there will be investments in the supply chain in order to ensure future supplies. KONGSBERG plans to invest a total of NOK 640 million, of which the Norwegian authorities contributes with NOK 200 million and EU contributes with EUR 10 million. The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is currently used by 14 nations, of which 11 are from NATO or the EU. These new investments will strengthen the already close collaboration on the NSM production across the European borders, by further developing an even more resilient missile ecosystem, to ensure supply and preparedness.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) 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 weapons control systems for naval vessels and air-defence applications. Today, the company is probably best known abroad for its development/industrialisation and production of the first passive IR homing anti-ship missile of the western world, the Penguin, starting delivery in the early 1970s (when Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace was part of KONGSBERG’s predecessor Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk).
