The government of Belgium has announced plans to acquire the NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, also known as Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) air defence system to protects its people and critical infrastructure from aerial threats. At the NATO summit in Ankara, Belgium signed a cooperation agreement with the Netherlands to purchase modern, multi-layered air defense, that would include 10 NASAMS systems. Contract negotiations are still ongoing, and KONGSBERG does not intend to make any further statements until a firm contract has been signed, expected later in 2026.
“After twenty years without one, Belgium will rebuild its own powerful air defense capability with this joint purchase. This step is essential for the protection of our population and critical infrastructure,” said Belgium’s Defence Minister Theo Francken in a statement.
With regard to NASAMS, Belgian companies will be responsible for, among other things, the development and production of essential components of the launch systems, next-generation command systems, software and integrated electronics, robust displays and computing solutions, as well as specialized camouflage solutions. This involves collaboration with Feronyl, Tecnolon, ScioTeq, Grimonprez, Advionics, Sonaca, DPM, Sioen, and Sabena, among others.
NASAMS is a short- to medium-range ground-based air defense system developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) and Corporation. The system defends against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), helicopters, cruise missiles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles (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 (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile). NASAMS 2 is an upgraded version of the system capable of using Link 16, which has been operational since 2007. As of 2022, NASAMS 3 is the latest upgrade.
