KONGSBERG, Norway, June 24 (UPI) -- Kongsberg of Norway, with its U.S. partner Raytheon, has delivered the first NASAMS High Mobility Launcher to the Norwegian military.
The new launcher will work with existing NASAMS launching ramps, and will improve the opportunities for mobility and thus the NASAMS system's overall usability.
"We are proud that the Norwegian armed forces are the first to take HML in use as a new element in NASAMS portfolio," Eirik Lie of Kongsberg Defense Systems said. "HML would also fit well into NASAMS export opportunities where we look at several existing and new opportunities."
NASAMS is a network-centric medium- to long-range air defense system, which uses the U.S.-made, beyond-line-of-sight AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
The contract for the HML, which can be fitted on a variety of vehicles, was signed with the Norwegian government in 2011.
Norway is now the first country to receive the Kongsberg HML.
"Air defense is an important part of a country's total defense and [the Ministry of Defense] is very pleased with this increase in capacity of the air defense system NASAMS," said Brigadier Frode Flolo, chief of air capabilities in the Defense Logistics Organization.
Kongsberg said several countries have chosen NASAMS for air defense, including Finland, the Netherlands, the United States and Spain.
