Norwegian defense giant Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) has officially entered the Ukrainian market by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a "large Ukrainian company," joining the growing list of Western defense companies launching local partnerships. On Sunday, the manufacturer announced the opening of its office in Kyiv and revealed two primary areas of cooperation with Ukraine.
The first project focuses on developing a new air defense missile that, as Kongsberg states, "can be produced and delivered in large numbers and can be integrated with the NASAMS air defense system." Back in February, KDA's president, Eirik Lie, confirmed that a joint venture would be established in Ukraine to increase production of NASAMS missiles using local technologies. This initiative is currently being funded by the Norwegian government.
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The second project involves unmanned surface vessels (USVs) that will be equipped with Kongsberg's weapon stations, also funded by Norway. Notably, KDA already manufactures the Protector RS4 (also known as Protector RWS) remote weapon station, widely used on M1 Abrams tanks and integrated into CORTEX Typhon counter-drone systems. These anti-drone platforms, known in Ukraine as "Shahed killers," are already being supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces under the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU).
Yet these two directions represent only a fraction of what Kongsberg has to offer — and the full range of its defense technologies opens up broader possibilities for cooperation. Beyond NASAMS, the company is globally known for its bestsellers: the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and its stealthy, multirole variant — the Joint Strike Missile (JSM).
The JSM, in particular, could be of high interest to Ukraine. Designed for internal carriage of the F-35, the missile was originally test-launched from F-16 fighter jets with success as early as 2015. With a range of 350 km and a 180-kg warhead, it would significantly boost Ukraine's airstrike capabilities.
In addition, Kongsberg continues to promote its NOMADS system — a new mobile short-range air defense solution that supports multiple missile types, including AIM-9 and IRIS-T. The Norwegian weapon maker also has impressive competencies in communication systems, command and control technologies, and a wide portfolio of naval warfare systems, including components for submarines.
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