Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) attended today the opening of the Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace (KDA) facility in Adelaide, together with Australian Defense Minister Pat Conroy. – What will happen at this facility? – Different equipment manufactured by Kongsberg will be maintained and manufactured here. Today is truly a milestone for the Norwegian defense industry. We have world-class products and there is great interest, including here in Australia, says Gram to news. KAD announced in August that later this year they will start building a missile factory on the other side of the globe. The Australian government pays around NOK 6 billion for this. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram believes Norwegian defense technology contributes to global security. Here he is in a previous visit to the Home Guard Major General Frode Ommundsen. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB An acknowledgment During the opening in Adelaide, the Australian government said that it has entered into an agreement with KDA for the purchase of JSM missiles for its F-35 fighters. – This is a great recognition of Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace and shows that Norwegian-developed defense technology contributes to global security. The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of a strong defense and a solid defense industry, Gram believes. This is the first time the JSM and NSM missiles have been produced outside Kongsberg. – Why should a Norwegian company produce weapons in Australia? – We still produce a lot in Norway, but the Norwegian arms industry must be international. We must enter the world market and cooperate with partners there. Then the Norwegian defense industry succeeds, and then we also get back products and product development that strengthen the Norwegian defense capability. Round trip Australia has previously invested significantly in Norwegian-produced material from KDA, including the NSM naval target missile and Nasam’s air defense system. – The missile factory will be the first outside Norway, which testifies to the strong relationship between Kongsberg, Norway and Australia, says KDA director Eirik Lie. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram is on a 12-day tour of South Korea, Japan and Australia, which are three of NATO’s four partner countries in the region. – I am here to gain more insight into security policy challenges in this region, and to build closer connections with partners here, and also promote the interests of the Norwegian defense industry. – There is a lot of seriousness in the world now, and the main focus will always be on Russia and our areas in the north, but the connection between the Indo-Pacific region and the Euro-Atlantic is becoming more and more evident. When it comes to the war in Ukraine, Russia is supported indirectly and directly by countries such as China and North Korea. Published 05.09.2024, at 08.00 Updated 05.09.2024, at 09.03
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Norwegian weapons are sold to Australian fighters – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
