Switzerland taps Kongsberg for Protector weapon system

March 2 (UPI) -- Norwegian company Kongsberg received a $15 million contract to deliver updated Protector remote weapon systems to the government of Switzerland.

The weapon system was ordered by Armasuisse, Switzerland's federal procurement office. According to Kongsberg, the Protectors to be delivered will be modified to integrate with modern platforms.

"Kongsberg has delivered Protector remote weapon systems to Switzerland since 2007," Kongsberg Protech Systems president Espen Henriksen said in a press release. "This configuration is the result of a close cooperation with the customer to develop the system for a new generation of platforms."

The Protector Remote Weapon Station, or Protector RWS, is a remotely controlled system designed to be mounted on armored vehicles. Kongsberg says the system can integrate on any type of platform, including the M151 and the M153, and is designed to accommodate light and medium-caliber weapons.

17,000 systems have been sold to 17 nations. In addition to Switzerland, customers include Australia, Canada, France, India, Britain and the United States.