The Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace plans to integrate Ukrainian-made interceptor missiles into NASAMS air defense systems, according to Militarnyi.
Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, told Euractiv that the company is establishing operations in Ukraine and developing a partnership with local industry.
“We are now establishing a company in Ukraine. We are in close discussion with industry in Ukraine to establish a joint venture. The first priority is to increase missile production for our air defence system in Ukraine, based on Ukrainian technology,” said the company president.
According to Lie, the initiative aims for mass production of missiles, with plans to manufacture hundreds of units. The joint ventures are expected to be established within a few months.
Militarnyi notes that the report suggests that the Ukrainian missiles will likely be adapted to the NASAMS systems currently deployed in Ukraine. However, integration with the newer NOMADS air defense systems, which the German government recently considered purchasing for Ukraine, remains a possibility.
Ukrainian anti-air missiles
Ukraine’s defense industry possesses several anti-aircraft interceptor designs, including the Coral, R-27, and the promising UP-277. Technical challenges exist for each option – the Coral exceeds the length of NASAMS launch containers, while R-27 variants would require modifications to their rudders for compatibility.
Ukrainian army may receive Coral domestic anti-air missiles in 2024
“The emergence of a completely new, previously unknown anti-aircraft missile cannot be ruled out, and work on it could have been initiated after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. It could be a radar-guided interceptor or a short-range system with an infrared homing head,” Militarnyi noted.
Lie emphasized the long-term vision for this collaboration, stating:
“At Kongsberg, we want to utilize the strength of Ukraine’s industry. In the long term, when the war is over, Ukraine can be part of the supply chain providing missiles for air defence systems.”
The Kongsberg president also expressed interest in Ukraine’s defense innovations.
Integration
High-level discussions between Ukrainian officials and Kongsberg executives became public in January 2025, when Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umierov announced potential integration of domestic air defense assets into the NASAMS system, according to Militarnyi.
“The parties analyzed the possibilities of integrating domestic air defense assets into the NASAMS system, which will increase its effectiveness,” the Ministry said in a statement.
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- Ukrainian army may receive Coral domestic anti-air missiles in 2024
