Zelenskyy Seeks More NASAMS Systems in Norway

Ukraine aims to bolster its air defenses through expanded partnerships with Kongsberg and Norwegian officials.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Cybersecurity

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Oslo to negotiate the procurement of additional NASAMS air defense systems to protect critical Ukrainian infrastructure. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Oslo to negotiate the procurement of additional NASAMS air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure. The talks also focused on accelerating the development of the FREYJA anti-ballistic missile project.

Why it matters

The acquisition of these air defenses is vital for defending Ukrainian infrastructure against ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks. Furthermore, the collaboration seeks to address satellite communication limitations currently hindering military drone operations.

The NASAMS platform utilizes AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles manufactured by RTX to neutralize aerial threats. The FREYJA project aims to advance anti-ballistic missile testing capabilities with 10 nations involved.

The players

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

He is the President of Ukraine who is coordinating international military aid and defense technology partnerships.

Kongsberg

This is a Norwegian industrial group specializing in defense, aerospace, and maritime technology.

Tore Sandvik

He serves as the Norwegian Minister of Defense and oversees the country's military assistance programs.

Eirik Lie

He is the CEO of Kongsberg who is managing the company's expanding presence in the Ukrainian defense sector.

RTX

This is a global aerospace and defense firm that manufactures the AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles used in air defense systems.

The details

During his meetings in Oslo, President Zelenskyy worked with Norwegian leadership and Kongsberg executives to address technical gaps, including performance issues with the StarShield military satellite service. The partners identified new development sites to streamline the FREYJA missile-defense project while reinforcing the existing NASAMS infrastructure.

Timeline

  1. Kongsberg established a physical office in Ukraine during 2025.

  2. President Zelenskyy met with Norwegian officials on October 21, 2026.

  3. Ukraine anticipates receiving additional defense support packages in November 2026.

  4. Project stakeholders plan to conduct initial testing of FREYJA system elements by the end of 2026.

The Tech Race

This effort to integrate multi-national missile defense technology represents an attempt to bypass limitations found in commercial-grade satellite systems. It signals a move toward state-backed defense integration to replace reliance on third-party private service providers.

The transition to advanced, state-managed missile defense networks is designed to improve the resilience of critical national infrastructure. These improvements aim to reduce the systemic disruptions caused by drone attacks on local power and communication grids.

The takeaway

Reliable defense infrastructure increasingly depends on integrating specialized military-grade hardware over general-purpose commercial technologies. Governments are prioritizing multi-national partnerships to ensure consistent performance in critical security environments.

What happens next

Ukraine expects to receive additional defense support packages in November 2026, followed by the testing of FREYJA system elements scheduled for the end of 2026.

Further reading

Learn more about evolving threats and digital security at /tech/cybersecurity/.

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Should Western nations prioritize providing more military equipment to Ukraine over pushing for immediate peace negotiations?