– To put it bluntly, some people say that Nasams is a communication system that can also shoot down planes, says researcher Ole Jørgen Maaø at the Air War School. Nasams is a system with many parts. The missile itself is American Amraam. Many of the other components are Norwegian-developed. CRUISE MISSILE: The low-flying Russian missile has just hit what is supposed to be a residential area in the Ukrainian capital. Photo: GLEB GARANICH / Reuters Best in class Maaø believes Nasams is very effective against cruise missiles. The Russians use large quantities of these weapons. – Nasams is one of the best systems in the world in its class. The basis is a Norwegian idea from the 1980s. The goal was to create a network-based air defense system, Maaø explains. LONG EXPERIENCE: Researcher Ole Jørgen Maaø at Luftkrigsskolen has shot himself with Nasams. Photo: Luftkrigsskolen Nasams has sensors, command cars, communication systems and launch platforms. Everything is mobile. Through the network, the different parts work together, and everyone sees the same thing. Withstands a lot of beatings – It is a tough air defense weapon. If something is knocked out, the system does not stop working, says Maaø. He himself has served in a Nasams battery. If, for example, one or more radars are destroyed, most of the launch platforms can still fire missiles. The necessary information comes in the network. – Those who press the button can also see what all the other fire leaders are doing. This reduces the probability that the same target will be fired at several at the same time, Maaø states. The system is capable of hitting all kinds of targets in the air, except ballistic missiles. The second limitation is the range. It is a system with an effective range of about 30 kilometers. It is very short compared to American Patriot and Russian S-400. LARGE SYSTEM: A Nasams battery has several launch pads, command cars, radars and communications equipment. Photo: Kongsberg ASA I do not know from whom the American authorities inform AP and CNN that the Ukrainians get Nasams by the USA buying the system. Nasams is produced by the technology company Kongsberg. DOES NOT SAY MUCH: Communications Director of the Kongsberg Group, Ronny Lie, refers to the Americans. Photo: Kongsberg Gruppen – Kongsberg does not know what the USA will possibly do, and we refer all questions about this to the American authorities, says communications director in the Kongsberg group, Ronny Lie. – On a general basis, we can state that we are a major supplier of Nasams to more than ten nations, Lie adds. Complicated system Nasams works by the ground systems detecting targets. This can be done with radar or electro-optical cameras. The missile is fired in the direction of the target and turns on its own radar. The missile locks to the target and steers towards it. There are a number of advanced technological systems behind the possibility of implementing something like this. – The Ukrainians who will use this must receive thorough instruction in advance, Maaø says. DANGEROUS: The sky over part of Ukraine. It is a very complicated environment for both pilots and air defense troops on the ground. There is a great danger of pointing out and hitting the wrong goal. Photo: YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP Shooting down their own Maaø points out that the most challenging thing is to distinguish between own and enemy air activity. If this is not done, the user of Nasams can shoot down his own planes and helicopters. – If there is nothing else in the air than the enemy, and that enemy in addition is not so smart, then it is relatively easy to use Nasams, says Maaø. An enemy who wants to hit the air defense system itself can do a lot. Radar signals can be disturbed and the radar itself attacked with radar-seeking missiles. – There are a number of countermeasures Nasams operators can implement, but these are complicated exercises and not something you learn in a few weeks, says Maaø. Trained in Norway? Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram said on 16 June that it is relevant for Norway to train Ukrainian soldiers in the use of weapons. He did not want to rule out that it could happen on Norwegian soil. – Again on a general basis, we can state that we have an educational program for foreign soldiers and officers, says Lie from Kongsberggruppen. This education takes place in Norway. The Norwegian Armed Forces also has its own training course for Nasams. It takes place at Luftverntaktisk skole on Ørland.
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How the advanced Norwegian weapons system Ukraine now gets works – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
