Norway buys US-made air defence missiles for more than US$360 million

Norway has agreed with US authorities to buy air defence missiles for more than 4 billion Norwegian crowns (US$363 million), the Norwegian military said on Monday.

The contract agreed between the Norwegian and US governments covers the AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), made by RTX Corporation, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Defence Material Agency said.

“With more and newer missiles, the Norwegian Armed Forces will have a better ability to protect Norway against air attacks,” Norway’s Defence Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said in a statement.

The Nordic country, which is a member of the Nato military alliance and shares a border with Russia, has vowed to ramp up defence spending following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The missiles are primarily intended for Norway’s ground-based air defence system but can also be included in the weapons inventory of F-35A fighter aircraft, the Defence Material Agency said.

The purchase is among the largest single procurements of weapons ever made for the Norwegian Armed Forces, the agency said.