The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) is a medium-range, network-centric air defense system co-designed and developed by Raytheon and Kongsberg Air Defense, primarily for the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF).
NASAMS is currently in service with the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Netherlands Army, the Spanish Army, and the U.S. Capital Territory. Australia is presently procuring NASAMS to meet its ground-based air defense requirements.
The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) is an Air Defense that can identify, attack, and destroy aircraft, helicopters, Cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as protect high-value assets and large population centers from air-to-ground threats.
Raytheon and Kongsberg reached a ten-year agreement in June 2015 to expand their partnership on NASAMS through 2025.
NASAMS II is an upgraded version of NASAMS that uses a new radar and 12 missile launchers to identify and destroy targets faster. The upgraded system has been operating since 2007, and several countries have ordered it, including Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands.
NASAMS Design and Features
The NASAMS air defense system’s open network-centric architecture increases survivability against electronic countermeasures.
The missile system can simultaneously attack 72 targets in active and passive modes. The primary weapon of the system is the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
The Raytheon MPQ-64F1 Sentinel high-resolution 3D pencil beam surveillance radar mounted on NASAMS is used to detect and track targets.
The missile system is equipped with AMRAAM launchers, passive electro-optic (EO), infrared (IR) sensors, an intricate real-time communication network, and standalone mission planning tools.
NASAMS missile test
In November 2008, the Spanish Army successfully conducted a NASAMS live-fire exercise with four AMRAAMs. In June 2011, the RNoAF conducted a tactical live-fire exercise for NASAMS.
The AMRAAM-ER missile was first successfully test-fired from the NASAMS system in 2016.
The air defense system successfully test-fired the AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile in 2011.
Raytheon and RNoAF first launched the AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II short-range missile in May 2019 from a NASAMS launcher.
RNoAF conducted a test launch of the Ground Evolution Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) from NASAMS in July 2012.
NASAMS’s Multiple Missile Launch Capability
NASAMS has three multi-mission launchers, each carrying up to six ready-to-fire missiles in protective tanks. It is transportable by truck and rail. The system is capable of 360° defense and is suitable for day and night operations in all weather conditions.
command and control unit
NASAMS has a Fire Distribution Center (FDC) command and control unit to perform battle management command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (BMC4I) functions. It is also used for data link management, orbit identification and association, friendly protection, jamming stroboscopic triangulation, threat assessment, weapons allocation, and kill assessment.
FDC and radar are connected using Link 16, JRE, Link 11, Link 11B, LLAPI, and ATDL-1 data link.
Which country has it or has ordered it so far
In 1994, NASAMMS, with the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), received the initial operational capability of the RNoAF. In 2003, the Spanish Army purchased a total of four NASAMS systems.
In December 2006, the Dutch Army and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace signed a contract for an upgraded NASAMS II air defense system using the EADS TRML-3D mobile surveillance radar.
NASAMS II was delivered to RNoAF in 2007. In August 2005, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace was awarded a further Ukrainian rupee ($7.49 million) contract to provide Link 16 tactical data links for the NASAMS II air defense system. The Finnish Ministry of Defense ordered NASAMS II in April 2009.
Raytheon contracted the RNoAF in December 2011 to supply the High Mobility Launcher (HML) for the modernization of NASAMS. As part of the contract, the company delivered the first HML in June 2013 and upgraded the electronics for the tank launcher fleet.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force awarded a contract in January 2013 to upgrade existing missile launchers with new electronics and software to improve the performance and service life of the NASAMS II system.
In January 2014, the Oman Ministry of Defense awarded Raytheon a $1.28 billion contract for NASAMS, ground support equipment, a complete training package, and technical assistance.
In April 2014, Kitrons received an order of 56 million Ukrainian crowns ($6.75 million) from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to supply military communications equipment for the NASAMS air defense system to Oman.
In April 2017, NASAMS was identified by the Australian Government as the solution for the Australian Army to provide ground air defense capabilities to the Australian Army under its Land 19 Phase 7B project.
A contract was formally announced in March 2019 following the approval of risk mitigation and the Australian Government.
The contract involves the supply of two NASAMS batteries to the Australian Defence Force. The first battery is expected to be delivered this year, with initial operational capability expected in 2023 and final functional capacity in 2025.
In October 2017, the Indonesian government signed a $77 million contract with Kongsberg to supply two batteries for the NASAMS air defense system.
Hungary awarded Kongsberg and Raytheon Missiles & Defense a contract for medium-range air defense systems worth 410 million euros ($490.45 million) in November 2020. It became the 12th country in the world to purchase a NASAMS system.
