Kongsberg Gruppen (‘KONGSBERG’) has signed a contract with the Netherlands for the expansion of the country’s air defence programme CITADEL. The contract has a value of about NOK 1.5 billion and includes several NOMADS (NatiOnal Maneuver Air Defence System) systems, high mobility short-range air defence, as well as increases to the NASAMS ground-based air defence system. The new deliveries will increase the overall capacity of the CITADEL programme, which KONGSBERG signed with the Netherlands in 2024. The Netherlands signed a contract for the delivery of: NASAMS-3 systems, 18 NOMADS air defence systems and 6 command vehicles based on the ACSV G5. These vehicles will eventually replace the 18 Fennek SWP (Stinger Weapon Platform) equipped with 4 FIM-92 Stinger missiles.
The NOMADS (NatiOnal Maneuver Air Defence System) is a short range mobile ground base air defence system designed and made by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The primary platform for which the module was designed is the ACSV G5 from the German company FFG (Flensburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH). The NOMADS is an air defence module for armoured vehicles that is designed to lock on standard 10-foot ISO container twist locks. However, the module could equip any vehicle that would have the dimensions, the payload and stability requirements met. The system is designed to protect a manoeuvring army, transportation routes, convoys, command centres, logistical hubs in a dynamic environment from targets such as aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and all types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The National Manoeuver Air Defence System (NOMADS) features a versatile effectors suite integrated into its armored chassis, designed around a dual-canister elevating surface-to-air missile launcher accommodating four missiles alongside a dedicated Remote Weapon Station (RWS) for close-in defence. Developed to leverage existing inventory, the system was originally trialed in mid-2023 with Diehl’s IRIS-T SLS short-range missile—the same variant previously deployed on Norway’s now-retired F-16 fleet—offering an effective ground-launched range of 12 km and an altitude ceiling of 26,000 ft. However, following Oslo’s decision to donate its remaining IRIS-T stockpile to Ukraine alongside Western industrial bottlenecks prioritizing Ukrainian resupply, Norway pivoted toward integrating the RTX AIM-9X Block 2 Sidewinder, a missile already operational across its F-35A fleet and NASAMS batteries that yields a ground-launched engagement range of roughly 10 km.
In addition to its primary surface-to-air missile armament, NOMADS incorporates flexible secondary effectors tailored for contemporary battlefield threats and close proximity self-defence. When showcased at Eurosatory 2024, Kongsberg demonstrated the platform fitted with a Protector RS4 RWS armed with a 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun to engage light ground targets and low-altitude threats. The defense contractor also displayed an optional radio-frequency (RF) directional jammer—specifically the Blackrock system—as a dedicated counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capability, although the Norwegian Army has not formally confirmed whether this electronic warfare fit will be adopted for operational service.
