On behalf of Belgium, the Netherlands has signed a contract with Norwegian company Kongsberg to supply NASAMS air defense systems. The end users of these air defense systems will be the Belgian Armed Forces, which will join a fairly long list of operators worldwide, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the company's announcement, the deal is worth NOK 10 billion, or €920 million. However, the Norwegian manufacturer has not disclosed any other details, such as the number of systems ordered or delivery dates.
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From Defense Express we would like to note that earlier this year, Belgium announced that it would purchase air defense systems jointly with the Netherlands for a total of more than €3 billion. At that time, the deal involved 10 NASAMS air defense systems, 20 Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft guns, 14 GM200 radars, and Iveco trucks.
Assuming NOK 10 billion, or €920 million, is the price of 10 NASAMS systems, a rough estimate puts the cost of each system at NOK 1 billion, or €92 million. However, it is difficult to estimate the cost because the exact Belgian configuration is unknown.
Moreover, NASAMS is highly modular, so the figure of 10 units refers to the number of command posts. The number of launchers, however, must be considered separately, as they may be distributed unevenly among the fire units.
In 2024, the Netherlands ordered 13 command posts and 21 launchers for the NASAMS system. Together with 18 NOMAD launchers and five command posts for them, the total cost came to NOK 12 billion, or approximately €1 billion.
For years, Belgium has lacked a significant ground-based air defense capability, relying instead on tactical aircraft, including F-16s, which it is set to begin transferring to Ukraine in 2026. Therefore, Belgium is actively working to strengthen its air defense capabilities. In addition to receiving F-35s, it has also acquired Mistral and Piorun MANPADS, with the latter already entering service.
As for the Skyranger 30, Belgium intends to use it to provide drone defense for NASAMS and other air defense systems. The procurement is being carried out jointly with the Netherlands, which will ensure standardization, deepen cooperation, and could potentially help reduce the cost.
NASAMS uses the U.S. AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, which are the primary medium-range air-to-air weapons on most Western fighter jets. The latest versions of the Norwegian air defense system have been upgraded to use the specialized AMRAAM-ER and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles.
All of these capabilities have been deployed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have been operating NASAMS systems supplied as part of military aid for nearly four years. To ensure a sufficient supply of ammunition for air defense systems and aviation, the U.S. has already signed a contract with Raytheon worth up to $20.7 billion for the production of AIM-120 missiles.
From the Defense Express side, we urges you to join a fundraising for what is already working: One United Fundraiser: Fundraising by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation for interceptor drones.
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