Seapower Magazine:
PARIS — Raytheon Co. and Kongsberg have signed an agreement to extend their partnership on the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), Raytheon announced in a June 15 release.
Dr. Tom Kennedy, Raytheon chairman and chief executive officer, and Harald Annestad, chief executive officer of Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS, signed the 10-year agreement during the Paris Air Show.
“Raytheon has partnered with Kongsberg for a decade to develop and produce the most accurate and reliable surface-to-air missile defense capability available,” said Ralph Acaba, vice president for Raytheon Integrated Air and Missile Defense.” This NASAMS partnership has resulted in a successful system that is now in service around the globe.”
“We truly value our partnership with Raytheon on NASAMS. Together we have continuously improved the technology base for the benefit of the warfighter. In addition to the successful NASAMS system, our two companies have recently teamed on the Naval Strike Missile and the Joint Strike Missile strike missiles,” said Eirik Lie, executive vice president for Kongsberg Defence Systems.
The Raytheon and Kongsberg collaboration is focused on optimal system performance and capabilities from sensor to effector for NASAMS users around the world, including incorporation of the new Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile-Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER) missile. Most recently, NASAMS successfully engaged and destroyed four out of four airborne targets during a live-fire exercise conducted by the Royal Norwegian Air Force at the Andoya Rocket Range in Northern Norway.
NASAMS is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system. This operationally proven system provides the air defender with a tailorable, state-of-the-art system that can defeat current and evolving cruise missile threats and a wide range of air breathing threats. NASAMS works seamlessly with the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System and the Hawk Air Defense System.
Key components of NASAMS are the combat-proven AMRAAM missile with demonstrated operational flexibility in both air-to-air and surface-launch engagement scenarios. The AN/MPQ-64 F1 Sentinel air defense radar is the primary sensing component for the alerting and cueing of targets for NASAMS.
