The Norwegian Ministry of Defence has partnered with RTX company Raytheon and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace to develop a new radar for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.
The new sensor will reportedly be based on Raytheon’s GhostEye family of radars with an increased range. “We can’t provide performance specifics, but the radar’s capabilities will far exceed NASAMS’ current sensor configuration,” Mike Mills, executive director of GhostEye programs at Raytheon, told Defense News.
The project marks the first collaboration under the NASAMS Capabilities Collaborative Agreement signed in 2023 by Norway’s defense ministry, Kongsberg and the RTX business. The radar components will be produced in Norway and the United States, although the timeline remains undisclosed.
The Raytheon-Kongsberg NASAMS Partnership
NASAMS is a medium-range air defense system jointly developed by Raytheon and Kongsberg under a 10-year partnership.
It integrates Kongsberg’s Fire Distribution Center and Raytheon’s 3D AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar and uses effectors such as the Advanced Medium-Range Air-To-Air Missile, AMRAAM-Extended Range and AIM-9x missile.
In 2021, Raytheon released the upgraded GhostEye MR radar, a 360-degree medium-range air and missile defense radar for NASAMS designed to detect and track cruise missiles, drones, fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
Norway’s Long-Term Defense Plan
“The development of the next-gen radar is a natural step for Norway as the lead nation and will address requirements to meet the mobility aspects for a flexible and agile system,” Hans Christian Hagen, vice president for business development of air and coastal defense at Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.
Speaking about the Nordic nation’s long-term defense plan, Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen emphasized that continued investment in NASAMS is a strategic priority, citing the technology’s efficacy on the battlefield, especially in the war in Ukraine.
Currently operational in 13 countries, the air defense system is also planned to be the foundation of Oslo’s future integrated air and missile defense.
In a LinkedIn post, RTX’s Mills said the new radar’s next-generation sensing, using shared technologies with the LTAMDS, will offer NASAMS customers significantly increased performance. “We are looking forward to working with Norway on providing them a solution … for their future defense plan,” he said.