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So if you picture an early, uh-- uh, crisp morning...

...and, uh, suddenly, you know, the seagulls are

suddenly disturbed by a really strange sound.

And that sound can come from

what we call air-breathing targets...

...more specifically, cruise missiles.

When the sirens sound, every second stretches.

They, unfortunately, seldom travel alone,

and they represent a very likely early threat.

People run, pray,

wait for the impact.

That may never come.

Because high above the city, an invisible shield

is already awake, searching,

tracking, intercepting.

Those radars will, in a couple of seconds,

they will track the-- and-- and scan the whole airspace.

It's a machine that exists

so that others can sleep.

Within a few milliseconds, those tracks,

they are identified.

Built not for conquest,

but for protection.

Then the track data is sent to the launchers.

Not to win wars,

but to stop them from beginning.

Track, one, five, two, four, firing.

Rocket motor will ignite.

And then the missile will fly out of the launcher,

pass, uh, speed of sound.

And then you can observe the impact.

It's called NASAMS,

the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.

We have many important objects

and areas that need to be defended,

and the NASAMS system is the--

the backbone of that, uh, defense system.

A system born of necessity,

shaped by collaboration,

and tested in the most brutal of labs,

war itself.

If you fly an offensive mission

within, inside the NASAMS coverage area,

I mean, are you suicidal?

Because it's so dangerous, you won't survive that.

From a small nation on the edge of Europe

came a simple idea,

that technology can buy time, and time saves lives.

Uh, you can't win a war with a NASAMS-type capability,

but you will definitely lose without.

The story of NASAMS has roots back to the 1940s,

as Hitler's German forces marched through the fjords.

The war did actually come to Norway, and specifically

the geostrategic location of Norway

was very valuable to the Germans.

On the one hand side, to secure oil imports

from Sweden and Norway via the ports,

as well as having that-- those

sort of basing options in the ports,

Norwegian ports, in order to have the Kriegsmarine,

the German navy, operate from there.

Norway fell in weeks,

an independent nation under foreign boots.

The occupation cut deep,

a wound that left a deep scar.

So as part of the occupation,

there was of course violent repression

against the, uh, civilian population of Norway,

and as in any occupied territory,

Germany also tried to exploit the resources and the industry,

uh, that Norway had in order to manufacture goods and weapons.

Uh, my hometown was bombed during World War II.

There was a couple of hours, four hours,

60% of all-- of all the buildings

were flattened, 70 metric tons

by the Luftwaffe at the-- at the time.

We know that it doesn't really work,

uh, to bomb civilian population.

You will not break their spirit.

Bread and sausages confiscated

from German military stores.

A treat for Norwegian children, whose land for five long years

had been occupied and systematically pillaged by the Germans.

Norwegians learned that

freedom cannot be outsourced.

It must be built, engineered and defended.

The Second World War left quite a mark in Norway,

in terms of preparedness and readiness for, uh, a conflict

that is, uh, imposed on the country,

rather than being, uh, a sort of a-- a war of choice.

The proximity nowadays with Russia, of course,

and being in, sort of the-- the

northern-western edge, uh,

with the strategic location that it has,

uh, of course, makes it, um,

very important for the country

to prepare itself for any eventuality.

That resolve became a national instinct.

A nation once occupied became a nation

that would never be caught unprepared again.

This is where the story of

Norwegian innovation begins.

Not with weapons, but with will.

This is where the story of NASAMS begins.

The Second World War changed everything.

For the first time, the sky was the battleground.

Now, the history of air defense goes, arguably, back

to the 19th century,

uh, the American Civil War, and even during

the Franco-Prussian War in 1870,

there were artillery guns that had been repurposed to shoot

at observation balloons.

But it really only picks off

with the First World War,

where the aircraft is then exploited

as a real military tool,

and there are machine guns up to, again, artillery guns,

have been repurposed to combat

these aircraft at various altitudes.

Cities burned from above,

and the defenders could only fire

blindly into the dark skies.

From that desperation came the first radar,

and the realization that seeing

was as important as shooting.

You also have radar gun laying

to increase the accuracy of guns,

especially at higher altitudes, that shoot at higher altitudes,

and, uh, can act then also at night,

where visual tracking of aircraft is, of course, impossible.

Fast forward to 1967,

when the Six-Day War proved the lesson again.

Without air defense, an air force can vanish in hours.

The shock rippled through NATO.

Airfields once thought secure

were shown to be targets, not shelters.

It was the same wake-up call as in 1967.

Same wake-up call then.

Israelis managed to then completely destroy

the Egyptian and the Jordanian air force,

so that was a big wake-up call.

"Oh, we need air-- air defense

over our airports. Ah!"

As we then progress into the Cold War,

there is the-- of course, the onset

of the missile age,

and missiles were used as air defense

in order to increase the probability

of a kill on a s-- a single shot,

as well as to act against higher altitudes.

Norwegian commanders saw it clearly.

To survive an attack, their runways

had to survive the first strike.

Every nation dreams of an impenetrable sky.

In truth, air defense is a balance.

Long-range systems see far, but are big, heavy and expensive.

Short-range systems react fast, but see little.

Between them lies the gap,

the space where most attacks occur.

That meant building a new kind of shield,

one that was agile, intelligent and their own.

That's where the idea of NASAMS began.

It would be a living network of radars,

missiles and decision-makers.

The bridge between fighter jets above and soldiers below.

Vulnerability was a choice Norway would never make again.

Out of that defiance, they began to architect

an intelligent defense system from the ground up.

In a quiet seaside town in Norway,

a small group of engineers set out to build it.

It's a unique system.

And what's special is that, uh, it started here in Stavanger.

In Stavanger, Norway's old air defense school

became a workshop for the future.

In the 1980s, Norway had a homegrown air defense system

called Norwegian-adapted HAWK.

It was the best they had.

The HAWK system was an old system,

so it wasn't-- wasn't going to live for-- forever.

Everything was planned on the Norwegian-adapted HAWK,

the NOAH system.

And we thought, we--

Well, we thought it was a very effective system.

We've used it, fired it and we wanted to

put it on our main six tactical airfields,

which we really wanted to protect as a priority one.

However, HAWK's main flaw

was limited engagement capability.

The high-power illuminator,

which we-- we used to illuminate the target,

and the missile followed the, uh, radar beam.

That's why t-- why it's called HAWK, Homing All The Way Target.

So we had to have the radar to follow the target

all the time until you hit it.

And you also had acquisition radar to-- to

find the-- the target in the first place.

Norway's air force officers

and young engineers

pored over the NOAH system to find a better solution.

The original HAWK system, they--

They needed a lot of men and-- and vehicles.

And, then, uh...

it was very expensive to-- to--

to operate and to move around.

HAWK could see and shoot,

but it couldn't think for itself.

It had limitations.

We, uh, needed a system

where we could, uh, put, uh, a--

all-- all the units

on-- on the same, uh, air picture,

distributing, uh, from one radar to another,

which was not possible in-- in the HAWK system.

Norway needed something smaller,

faster, smarter.

And for a nation too small to outspend its rivals,

there was only one path forward.

Innovate or disappear.

Enter Lieutenant Colonel Jan Reidar Hovland,

an engineer in uniform, part soldier,

part scientist, part stubborn Norwegian.

He was a visionary, he had ideas, and-- and he worked hard.

One of these meeting, in early-- late '88,

an engineer sitting on-- on my right hand,

and he listened, he didn't say much.

At this meeting, Hovland offered an idea

so audacious, it instantly changed everything.

But the need for a more advanced system was undeniable.

They needed something else, they needed to in--

disrupt how air defense was

done, uh, in the past.

So we needed some, what you call it, a fire-and-forget system,

that was, uh, easier, uh,

to-- to field in different, uh, topologies.

At the time,

the Norwegian Air Force

had just taken delivery

of F-16 fighter jets.

The basic thing had been to get the airborne AMRAAM

for our new F-16 aircraft

And [stammers] we had wanted it... for a long time.

Then Hovland pitched his idea to the group.

And he said, "Why don't you put new AMRAAM missiles

into the NOAH launchers?"

And nobody knew tha-- if--

if it was possible to launch it from the ground.

The rest of the people around the table, they--

they didn't quite know what he was talking about.

He had done some calcu-- calculations, and, uh...

he believed that, uh, it would be possible.

His logic was simple and genius.

Why reinvent a missile that already works?

Just change the way we launch it.

Many others were skeptical.

I looked at the chief of defense,

and we looked at each other.

We asked the question, "If you can fire it from a plane

and hit another plane,

why can't you fire it from ground

and hit another plane?"

And then and there we saw, this is...

a really fantastic idea.

That has never been done before.

He was a visionary man to come up

with this idea back in '82, '83.

The AMRAAM missile utilization was genius.

You can point the canister

at the target, fire,

and then forget

and go to another target.

Because the-- the missile itself

will do the rest of the job.

It's pretty cool.

A system that could fire fi--

up to 54... missiles

in about 10 seconds against 54 different targets.

So the firepower is amazing.

Yeah, it's very cool.

Critics called it impossible.

Hovland called it efficient,

and he had the data to prove it.

He was a pilot, he knew, I knew immediately.

And we thought, "This is-- this is the future."

The first launch was in 1993,

and that was, uh, successful.

But the-- just the idea, for me, that was a-- a revelation.

A NASAMS fire unit is more than a missile system.

It's a network that thinks.

Each fire unit is made up of three launchers, a radar,

and a fire distribution center, referred to as FDC.

With the FDC being the brain of the unit.

But what makes it powerful

isn't just precision, it's flexibility.

What is special about the NASAMS system

is that it has an architecture which is kind of unique.

Every element, launcher, radar,

command post, can be separated,

miles apart, and still linked by encrypted radio.

They see the same sky,

share the same picture,

and react as one.

Everything will be, uh, detected by the C2 system,

so they will know exactly which missile is where.

The radar scans the horizon,

tracking threats across hundreds of kilometers.

It feeds data to the FDC,

where two operators watch tracks appear.

A hostile aircraft, a cruise missile, a drone.

The system provides critical information

about how to engage the threat.

Examples of, uh, engagement critical information,

uh, when the system suggests you should engage now,

and you should-- you should engage with this firing doctrine.

The operator makes a decision.

Each launcher holds six AMRAAM missiles.

Supersonic,

radar-guided, battle-proven.

When fired, they leave the ground at Mach 4.

Today we have a system that can be distributed

over a huge area, making it hard to detect.

The unique benefit of the system is its ability

to help the air defender with information.

So what we do is that we filter that information,

or that decision support part in the FDC filter

that information

into what is time-critical and engagement-critical.

A defense grid that moves

with the battle not behind it.

Kongsberg has always built things that matter.

For centuries, this small town

has lived at the edge of necessity.

Once a silver mine, then a gunmaker's forge,

now a hub of global defense and technology.

It's Norway's oldest military town,

and still one of its most inventive.

The same hands that once forged rifles,

now design systems that think for themselves.

Kongsberg City, uh, we a--

also call the company Kongsberg,

but it's-- [chuckles] it's--

it's a city called Kongsberg City.

And-- and, uh, I would say it's a small-- it's a small town,

you know, we are close to 30,000 people here.

By the early 1980s,

Norway had learned a hard lesson.

When crisis strikes, you cannot rely

on others to arm your defense.

The philosophy Hovland helped spark, ignited here.

Kongsberg became the forge where

his idea was shaped into reality.

Today, the heartbeat of NASAMS echoes through these halls.

The clang of steel, the glow of code, the precision of trust.

When the NASAMS system is in combat,

then nothing can go wrong.

You need to be able to trust the system.

There is a lot of, uh, attention

to detail in the production area.

We have examples of launchers, single launchers,

that's fired more than-- way more than 100 missiles

without any serious maintenance.

And in order to, uh-- uh,

a launcher to actually handle that,

everything has to be really accurate and really robust.

Currently, they are producing launchers

for multiple different nations. They are quite busy.

All the-- the teams in, uh-- in the production lines

and design areas and everywhere,

they're all aware of what

the NASAMS system is capable of.

And also what it's doing, what kind of difference

it's making in Ukraine as we speak.

At the factory, a father and daughter

work side by side.

He on the launchers, she on the software.

I've been working on modernizing the UI for the users,

so it's simpler and easier to interact with.

I've been working with the software on NASAMS since

the first firings in '91.

Developing the system from the HAWK system

to the modern NASAMS system.

So we see the missile fly out here.

So right now we're at the

training facilities at Kongsberg.

This is what we call the academy and this is the training room.

So we have four FTCs that the students

can practice working as a

full battalion in NASAMS.

And we can control everything from one station,

so it's easier for us to teach them how to use NASAMS.

...blue now, but if you do the other

track symbols standard, they'll be green.

So today, uh, Lars and I, we have done

a small update on the software.

So we're just checking to make sure that everyone--

everything's okay

and that they're working to-- good together.

And just fine-tuning if there's anything

we see and taking notes.

Much better than the previous versions.

And we can see we have full control over all our battalion.

I'm actually third-generation Kongsberg employee

on my mom's side.

Because my granddad on my mom's side also worked here.

Firing three targets.

I've been here for 40 years now.

So...

And that's not, uh, that special.

It's a lot of my colleagues that's been here

- since the early 80s. - ...away on four bogies.

It's two generations with one mission.

So, right now, it's high probability of a...

And what we've seen now... in Ukraine

makes it even more important...

to stay focused and to keep on trying

to make the best system you can for...

the people out there fighting for their freedom.

I think a lot of people want to take pride in their work.

They want to do a good job when they do something.

They see the system and they see

how much of an impact it could do.

And... they really just want to make

the best system possible.

Because in Kongsberg,

defense isn't about war.

It's about responsibility.

The knowledge that what they build here is

protecting lives far beyond these mountains.

It feels special.

It's a very special feeling to be able to say...

that I contributed

to saving lives and I contributed to making the...

people of Ukraine more safe at home.

And...

it feels like all the work that you put in,

it's-- it's worth it.

And you suddenly want

to make it even better.

Because... there's always room for improvement.

It's-- it's been my...

...occupation for 40 years and I'm very proud.

And I've been a central part of it for many years, designing it.

So... I'm proud of it.

The system that my dad spent my whole childhood making

actually works in the world and... can...

...help people.

And I'm glad to be a part of it myself.

You get really proud and...

...it's, uh--

it's not easy to talk about.

It's, uh-- it's been a life--

life's work and...

seeing that it's, uh-- makes me emotional.

It's more than a job, it's like a-- a lifestyle.

When you come here, immediately you get caught into the culture.

You get caught in-- into that cultural spil-- spirit that we have.

And that is-- is a competitive advantage.

To carry that vision further,

Kongsberg needed a partner across the Atlantic.

An alliance to marry Norwegian command and control

with American radar and missiles.

Turning a local idea into a global system.

By the mid-80s, Kongsberg's idea had outgrown Norway.

Hovland's concept was ready, but to make it real,

they needed power, reach and radar.

That's where Raytheon came in.

The relationship goes back over 50 years.

And it's-- it's just been remarkable

in terms of the partnership that we've--

we've had, uh, you know, with Kongsberg.

The Americans had just built the AMRAAM,

a missile that could think for itself.

Hovland saw a new possibility.

We needed, uh, a much more modern, network-centric

kind of, uh-- of system and a real open architecture.

So we-- we'd have the ability to integrate,

uh, additional sensors

like the Sentinel radar that's used today.

It was the perfect blend of American muscle

and Norwegian ingenuity.

It's an active missile, so...

essentially we use NASAMS, uh,

to guide the missile to...

uh, a point close enough to the threat.

And then once AMRAAM is close enough to the threat

and actually locks on with its own seeker,

it's essentially able to--

to do the rest of the mission itself.

Together, they form a single organism.

Radar sees, code thinks, missile acts.

A ballet of algorithms and air pressure.

And soon it would protect the most guarded airspace on Earth.

Good evening.

Today our fellow citizens, our way of life,

our very freedom came under attack

in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.

In the shadow of 9/11, America learned

that security could never again be assumed.

After 9/11, there was a shock moment in

the United States and globally of-- of these attacks.

And plans were put in place to prevent

something like this happening again.

After September 11th, 2001,

the sky became a constant responsibility.

Under Operation Noble Eagle,

NORAD stood watch over the homeland.

But above Washington, D.C., vigilance wasn't enough.

NORAD needed a system, ready now,

ready to protect the capital.

So the air defense community

and the U.S. government really went out to look

for what is--

what is ready now.

Uh, not 10, 15 years, but what is ready now.

And that ready now question was answered with NASAMS.

Here, in a discreet location

in Washington, D.C., sits one of the NASAMS launchers.

- Hey Specialist Farmer, how are you? - Good morning sir, how are you?

I'm good. Uh...

How is everything going?

Everything's going quite well, sir.

Operated by the U.S. Army,

it stands silent, ready.

So, we perform, uh, air defense in the National Capital Region.

Uh, the NASAMS system, or

No-- uh, Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System,

is a part of a--

a layered defense that we have here.

It's platforms and sensors,

uh, that we use throughout the region.

Most of the people living and working nearby

have no idea the firepower standing guard

just beyond their streets.

Uh, this is a... uh, hidden-in-plain-sight

type of mission that we have here.

Yeah, it's-- it's pretty well hidden away.

Uh, we try not to, uh,

draw attention to it as much as we can.

It's a-- a vital part of what we do here

in regards to our layered defense,

uh, here in the National Capital Region.

When the call came for a new layer of protection around

the nation's capital,

it was a Norwegian system that answered.

They ended up, uh, talking to the Norwegian Air Force.

And the Norwegian Air Force,

they decided to sell or to give, uh...

some NASAMS com-- components to the U.S.

When the decision was made,

there were no announcements, no itineraries,

no names on doors,

only silence and trust.

This was so secret, so it was even hard to know

where to travel to the U.S.,

because nothing was shared, uh, with us.

So we have examples of our

engineers being met at the airport,

signing, uh, deeds of confidentiality,

and then, uh, blindfolded on their way

to the integration site in the U.S.

For the first time, a foreign-made defense system

became part of America's homeland protection.

And the U.S. has been so satisfied

with protecting the National Capital Region with NASAMS as their core,

that they haven't changed it.

NASAMS had proven its worth.

But you also have to think about the complexity of...

a metropolitan area that has at least two major airports,

uh, that you've got to, uh,

you know, kinda deal with-- with that complexity

as well as you're, you know, doing the defensive mission.

Chosen in a moment of crisis

and trusted ever since,

NASAMS still stands silent guard

over Washington, D.C. today on mission.

We're always here, uh, no matter

what's happening, y-- you know,

morning, noon, night.

There's soldiers available to perform air defense

and to protect the skies over the National Capital Region.

We'll open up our launcher control panel.

As a NASAMS operator, my primary role is

to do basic maintenance

on the weapon system itself.

This is reloaded.

The amount of training that soldiers,

uh, perform on this system,

but on this mission alone, is, uh, very daunting.

And they-- and most, uh,

soldiers and-- and units come in here

with a lot of, uh, passion, uh, for what they do.

So, looking at the exterior of the launcher,

hydraulics look good.

I do-- I-- I very much enjoy being able to

come to work every day and...

give everyone a peace of mind that

we're protecting our National Capital Region.

We need to put those on the maintenance log.

This is, uh, what I feel like my life has--

has-- has brought me to.

Uh, I've always been a

big fan of the-- of the 204th.

I've always loved my 204th family.

We're one of the best air defense battalions

in the entire U.S. Army.

My favorite part about this mission is that

it's very pure in regards to what you do every day.

There's no question of what you do when you wake up

in the morning and-- and what you're trying to get after

and what you're protecting.

At the edge of the Arctic,

where ocean meets cloud, lies Andøya.

A place where nations come to see belief made real.

We're now witnessing, or are going to witness,

uh, the live firing of the Norwegian, uh, NOMADS system,

uh, some U.S. Army, uh, Stinger systems,

and also the Norwegian Army NASAMS system.

...training objectives for this exercise

is a verification of the weapon system...

It's part of a large exercise that involves both,

uh, ship-based air defense and land-based air defense

that is going to be

facing a threat of drones

that will be flying from the ocean towards,

uh, where we stand.

So it's going to be an exciting day.

Uh, we often have a large-- larger teams.

And we have our own, uh, communication teams.

Uh, the-- these types of exercises

with live firing is, uh, crucial

to actually testing the system,

uh, on all levels.

And, uh, also being, uh--

being members of an-- the alliance,

uh, to be able to work together with our nations,

uh, integrate the systems, uh, working together

to-- towards, uh-- towards a common threat.

Uh, the fire unit team. Uh, the fire unit team...

Well, we're here to--

'cause we bought the same systems.

Uh, we will receive them

at the-- the end of 2027, 2028.

So we are here to see the live firing,

'cause we-- we bought the systems,

but we've never actually done the live firing.

The plan is to reload the NOMADS and reset for the scenario

that we waited for-- for so long yesterday.

And we waited a bit more.

And we will see now if they can get NASAMS

into action together with NOMADS

and also supported by U.S. Stingers.

So that's the plan for today.

Don't jinx it now.

Throw it away!

So we have multiple bandits inbound-- bound for, uh, for an attack.

Stand by, NASAMS.

Standing by for NASAMS.

NASAMS-- And fire away!

Each year, beneath the low northern sun,

missiles rise through the cold air

like promises tested by fire.

Gravity is the judge.

Precision, the prayer.

For Kongsberg, it's more than a test.

It's theater.

A stage where Norway's invention

performs before the world.

We're today in 15 countries.

There's a high number of nations really interested in NASAMS now,

because they see how, uh, NASAMS actually perform

in, uh, international scenario

and how it actually performs in war.

Invited delegates from across continents

stand in the freezing temperatures,

eyes fixed, hearts quickened.

Since the last few years, uh, with, uh--

uh, what is happening in the world,

you see that people are more aware that air defense

is an important part of army, uh, operations.

And my job is a, uh...

The-- the people that are the closest to the Netherlands people,

to the Dutch people, uh, are the Norwegians.

In the culture, in the way we are,

in the way we conduct, uh, operations,

but also in the way we, uh, interconnect.

So it's always good to be in Norway because

it feels a little bit like home, only a little bit colder.

They feel the tension before they see it.

It's-- it's exhilarating.

As an air defender, for the whole of my life, eh...

it's-- it's this that we--

that we look forward to, because it-- it is--

it is actually a...

confirmation that the system works.

Kongsberg's Vice President, Vidar Skjelstad,

hosts them quietly.

So targets at IP for Striker, and this is gonna...

Offering not just data, but trust.

Every streak of flame says the same thing.

This works.

Uh...

At 1:30? 1:30 in the morning?

NASAMS live function is always like an experience.

It never gets old. It's like a new thing.

You learn something new and it's fantastic to see

the weapon system in action all the time.

And also the excitement it creates by our guests, yeah?

So it's like a great, great time for us, every time.

Andøya is no longer a proving ground.

It's a symbol where technology becomes diplomacy...

...and engineering becomes confidence.

It's also being used in Ukraine,

as you well know, to great success.

And it's proven to be one of the best systems in its class.

So yes, I'm proud to--

to be a Norwegian and to have operated

this system for so many years and to see it today.

From this frozen runway,

Norway's small creation took flight,

across borders, into the hands of those who believed.

Spain's chapter in the NASAMS story begins quietly.

Not in crisis, not in panic, but in foresight.

NASAMS, eh, has proven its reliability

during over these years.

And a proof of that is that Spain is going to--

to acquire five more batteries.

NASAMS is one of our greatest acquisitions of all time.

We've been working with NASAMS for 20 years now.

And we really enjoy that, and see that which is

an effective way of defending our country.

Spain was the first to take NASAMS beyond Norway,

the first to let it breathe on foreign soil.

Spain acquired NASAMS in 2003.

Well, right now the--

Our crew are-- they are setting the radar.

They are preparing it to-- to start the--

the rotation, whenever it's necessary.

NASAMS fits, eh,

perfectly in Spanish doctrine.

It gives us very good medium range system.

It also gives us the capability to be integrated

in the NATO air and missile defense system.

NATO is built on one principle,

collective defense.

A threat to one is a concern for all.

We could have, eh, some problems or...

some attacks in our own country, we all know that.

But the thing is, right now how collectively we work

all together and if, eh, we have some NASAMS,

some batteries which we can, eh, use them in deterrence and

protection in our allies, that's what we are doing.

So it's-- it's, eh, crucial for--

for the whole unity of NATO

to be able to be deployed wherever it's required.

And now, under the blue flag of NATO,

Spain's NASAMS stands in Latvia.

It allows us to contribute to the deterrence effort

on the eastern flag of NATO.

A quiet Spanish presence protecting

a distant European sky.

...were deployed in Latvia in 2022.

And this was because Latvia,

eh, doesn't have

eh, a medium-range system by itself.

So they asked the allies to go there and protect

the-- their skies.

Confidence here isn't loud.

It doesn't need to be.

It sits quietly behind a screen,

waiting for whatever dares to test it.

We work a lot with people from the air,

with, eh, pilots, and they are always scared.

Because the Sentinel radar has very low emitting,

so the fighters cannot, eh, detect it-- it.

That's, eh, something we ha-- they all have in common,

they are always scared to do some exercise with us

because they know, eh, we always fighting first

before they-- they could engage to us.

It was born elsewhere.

But above Spain, it found its purpose.

I'd say NASAMS is the thing that

allows us to be-- to live freely in our country.

If you don't have the air superiority,

you-- you cannot protect your country.

Everything will collapse.

You cannot be confident, uh, in the street

if you don't have your sky protected.

Eh...

Eh, daily basis, you--

you couldn't do it.

In Australia, defense is a question of distance.

A country almost as big as the United States.

To protect it isn't about building walls.

It's about reach.

How far you can see.

How fast you can move.

And of course, as you'll see,

Australians didn't just take the system as is.

They put their own mark on it.

NASAMS is the Army's answer to air threats.

There's approximately 13 user nations in the world.

Australia, obviously, is now one of them.

And, uh, we're certainly leading the charge,

uh, in terms of our capability and developing that.

Today, in the heart of the outback,

a new NASAMS unit prepares for its first live test.

Years of planning lead to this moment.

Not just to fire a missile,

but to prove a point.

That Australia can defend its own sky.

As the commander of the 10th Brigade and a serviceman

of 30 years service, I have...

rarely, if ever, seen a capability

for both our long-range fires and our,

uh, ground-based air defense, uh, accelerate so quickly.

This will be the first time occurrence for us.

This is a big step up from the previous equipment

that we had for air defense.

And it'll be a first proof

of it actually working

that everyone's pretty quite keen for.

Just, I guess, excitement and, yeah, just raring to go,

getting the missiles loaded up.

Hold still.

Here, mobility is everything.

That's why Australia chose a uniquely practical solution.

A high-mobility launcher on the back of a ute.

That was really, really, really exciting, um...

That is probably a highlight of my career so far.

Missiles on a farm truck.

Unlikely, perhaps.

Unmistakably Australian.

This vehicle is highly capable.

It can move into an area, set up,

engage and move out rapidly.

In Australia, NASAMS gives wings

to a missile made for flight.

Reborn for the ground.

The missile itself is an extremely capable missile

and it complements the arsenal of the other missiles

that we will employ, uh, with this system.

Instead of importing site,

Australia chose its own.

A radar developed by an Australian company

that already serves the Navy and the wider ADF

now powers NASAMS.

Proof of the system's true adaptability.

We're having a-- an amazing amount of success

utilizing that system.

It is actually best placed to provide

that killing ability for the launchers.

And as the desert stretches beyond the horizon,

the doctrine is clear.

Don't wait for the battle.

Take the shield to it.

Because of its distances, the Australian Defence Forces

would plan to fight forward so they would,

uh, in any kind of war,

you would expect to see ADF forces forward in,

let's say, the Philippines, New Guinea.

And those forward forces would also need,

uh, defenses to cover them.

So, for example, NASAMS would be potentially ideal

for covering, uh, forward airbases or army formations

from its cruise missile attack.

The purpose of this live fire is to show that

we can do a ripple fire between two different systems.

So there's a little bit of complexity noting that

this is the first of its first.

...over.

- Target airborne. - Target airborne!

In a nation this big, versatility is not a luxury.

It's survival.

That's why this system matters.

Multiple missile types, multiple roles,

shared across the air force and ground defense.

And that changes everything.

The benefits, of course, of something like NASAMS

is that-- that it's got that commonality of munitions

so you-- you're not investing in a stockpile of munitions

that has no other utility.

And also because it's a-- a pretty light,

pretty mobile system, it can do both static defense

and defensive mobile formations forward so you've got

that kind of multiple utility, um, which in some ways helps

to hedge against the difficulty of trying to cover

all your bases with a finite number of people

and-- and a finite number of dollars.

Flexible, mobile, multirole.

In a country where nothing is close...

...that might be the most powerful weapon of all.

When Russian forces invaded in February 2022,

Ukraine's skies were undefended.

Russian missiles and drones fell like rain,

turning cities into targets.

This building was hit with-- with a few...

Kalibrs cruise missiles.

Now, those people were outside because it wasn't so precise,

so a few missiles hit it on the-- in this city,

one hit it in the parking lot here.

A lot of people died in this medical clinic.

Very important to have enough modern air defense systems

with enough munition for them.

NASAMS quickly earned a reputation across Ukraine

as a reliable defense system.

When Ukraine first received NASAMS

in November 2022, it was a lifeline.

Ukraine realized that if you don't have adequate

air defense, you will lose this battle.

I never dreamt that, uh--

that we would see NASAMS

actually in combat operations.

At least for me, I can hope that it wouldn't come to that.

But if it should come to that, that at least our guys

should have the best equipment and be the best trained.

Very early on, Norway and the United States provided up to,

I believe it was three batteries

of NASAMS to Ukraine.

And that has then been augmented

by integrating other radar systems

as well as missiles, uh, from other countries

into the air defense system

that is, uh, NASAMS in Ukraine.

A handful of systems were rushed

across the world into a war already raging.

And within weeks, they proved their worth.

Since the very beginning, when it appeared

in-- in, uh, fall 2022,

that was exactly the same time

when, uh, Russia started

massive missile, cruise missile attack

on critical national infrastructure.

And NASAMS appeared just on time.

It was the first time the system would face war.

Years of design and testing

were about to meet real rockets overhead.

We knew that the weapon system would work

if we did all the right things. We had the live-fire program.

We knew that we were, you know, up-- up to 90%.

But in real combat, that's something else.

In one attack, Ukrainian crews brought down

eleven Russian cruise missiles in less than two minutes.

I believe in two minutes, 11 cruise missiles

were intercepted like in one salvo.

So you can imagine how effective this system...

And behind that moment was a commander...

...whose calm under fire became history.

Since then, NASAMS has intercepted

more than 1000 missiles and aerial threats.

Most of them are cruise missile.

So you can imagine how many critical national infrastructure,

how many civilian lives saved this system.

What began in minutes over one city

became a daily defense from border to border.

We had, uh, an event when one asset was attacked

by 36 cruise missiles, and most of them being

intercepted by only one NASAMS battery.

So guys just fastly reloaded their launchers

to achieve such great result.

There are no weapon systems that perfect.

But they managed to get that result on day one.

And I felt a sense of relief.

I think, "Okay, guys, now you got it.

You put it in the right place. You did it.

Okay, now, now you can--

you can start fight-- fighting back."

But success has consequences.

Russia adapted, changing flight paths,

hardening their cruise missiles and refining their tactics.

Even though Russia trying to improve their tactics

to make their cruise missile harder, more protected,

still we-- we have now effectiveness not less than 90%.

In Ukraine, NASAMS cruise

pushed the system beyond its design,

reloading in the field, firing and relocating constantly.

The challenge in-- in Ukraine is that, um, they don't have

the time available to perform the recommended

maintenance in between the firings.

So they just have to re-- reload the launcher again

and be ready for li-- almost like an artillery system.

Air defense isn't just about missiles.

It's about protection.

Purpose and survival.

No one wants war, but when it comes,

those who can defend... must.

Nobody wants war.

Nobody.

But when-- when this happens,

that we can make a difference

and show why we are here,

I think that is something we are very proud of.

And the work we do to-- to help out is-- is critical.

It is a clear object, uh, clear statement

from our politicians that we're supporting Ukraine.

And we are.

Because this war is happening now.

And it's a war in Europe.

And it's tragic.

Ukrainian crews now come to Norway

to learn NASAMS firsthand.

Each rotation builds skill and confidence.

Soldiers training not for theory, but for survival.

- ...and automatic... - Now, this was a system that they didn't have.

So we had to...

take them in and teach them how to use the system.

...points to remember...

What began as instruction

has become collaboration.

A living alliance forged through necessity

and shared purpose.

Now we look at from unknown to friend.

We try to give them both the theoretical package

that they need to understand the system

and mature with the system.

But also the practical lessons that they need to

really get into their fingers to be able to

act on muscle memory.

And then eventually we give leadership

over to the commanders and they...

lead their own units in the field, mentored by us.

I feel humbled to be able to do this.

The first time I did it...

...I was nervous.

Um...

Who am I to meet these people who s-- meet these hardships?

And then what can I teach them to help them?

But as we continued to train them,

I realized this is our--

our chance to give something to them.

And make sure you have, uh, on the quick VCS tab,

selected your weapon control volume.

In weeks, the students become defenders.

I think, uh, the better part of NASAMS it's...

the most important, it's air defense.

Defense of, uh, our sky.

Because, uh, many civilian people in Ukraine,

uh, it's, uh, kids, women, daughters, sons, husbands.

We are seeing, like, the students

are highly motivated, of course,

and they are progressing really fast.

There are a lot of information that they have to adapt,

learn and use within those, uh, weeks they are here.

And, uh, so far they've been doing, uh, great.

Knowledge here is ammunition,

and they fire it with discipline.

Okay guys, um, now we will do the setup of the launcher.

For connectivity, we will use alternative...

NASAMS system, uh, gets

Ukrainian air defense system stronger.

Remember to check that the area is clear,

that all of the components is present, and...

And, uh, that's why we're here and learn

and we will be-- use that to defend, uh, our country.

Uh, and when I say country, uh, I mean people.

And then we need to check, uh, the canisters.

Check!

Because it's, uh--

It's very important.

Now we're going to look at how we turn the FTC on.

Uh, so today we're looking at the FTC

and we're just teaching how to start it up.

There's a lot of different boxes in there and they each do their own thing.

So we have to go them-- through them step by step.

...the voltage is around, uh, the correct levels.

I think, uh, is-- my favorite part of the system

is, uh, communication and connection.

Uh, because it's the mostly important thing in the system.

- ...power, uh, and now we wanna go through the power system. - Okay.

Yeah, today we're trying to, uh, get the signal

with one mast to another mast.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

Alright, so this is the part where

- you're better than me. - Yeah.

Alright, let's take up the mast, so...

It, uh, looks like, uh, in Star Wars Starfighter.

Pew, pew!

- We're in now. Perfect. - Like that.

- Alright. - Well, you can see he's smiling, so, uh...

And I think that reflects his performance as well.

He's, uh-- he's doing really good.

Soon, their lessons will be tested

not on screens,

but under fire, back home in Ukraine.

I have a chance to get some knowledge,

uh, about, uh, air defense system NASAMS.

I think I get back in Ukraine

and bring some knowledge about

that system to my, uh, brother-in-arms.

Norway and Ukraine have, uh-- they have a long history together.

I believe there was a king back in, uh, the 1100s

who was, um...

married to, uh, a Ukrainian, uh--

uh, princess.

So, in a way, it feels right both historically

to be able to help them out.

They-- they smile at you and they shake your hand

and they say... thank you.

But, um, it always strikes me that it shouldn't be that way,

it-- it should be the other way around, where we--

We extend our hand to them and we tell them, "Thank you,"

because they are, uh-- they are the shield of Europe.

And...

it's the least that we could do.

I really hope that we can continue training,

delivering,

and, uh, saving lives on the battlefield.

Is Ivan a good teacher?

Sure.

Sure, sure, yeah.

We have some jokes.

- Let's not tell them here. - Surely.

It's a wrap.

So today if you ask, uh-- if you ask the employees in KDA,

I think, uh, what they're most proud of is...

uh, seeing the effect of NASAMS

and-- and NASAMS's performance in Ukraine.

From the war-torn skies of Ukraine,

the threat drifts west.

Across the border, in Poland,

the Royal Norwegian Air Force stands watch.

Calm, ready, unwavering.

So, what I need for you guys is to run out there to the radar,

establish it as fast as possible and then we'll send it over

to the tactical operations cell and they will do the rest.

- Okay? Any questions? - Yeah.

The Norwegian unit here

is a part of the Integrated

Air and Missile defense from, uh, the NATO mission.

The AMD battalion is part of NSATU,

Integrated Air and Missile defense, uh, here in Poland.

And our mission is to defend

the Logistics, uh, Enabling Node.

It's currently centered here in, uh, Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport.

Our job is to be the

short and medium-range, uh, protection of this asset.

This is NATO's edge.

A quiet frontier where peace meets pressure.

Russian jets probe the airspace.

Drones cross lines.

Testing, taunting, watching who will blink first.

So, the rock here is the--

the air defense logo that we're using

for all the people working here to touch

and, uh, maybe get some, uh,

blessings before their shift.

The Norwegians don't flinch.

So, the battery's name is Battery 51 Mike.

That's the name for the-- the unit that's operating here.

Uh, previously, uh, the unit, uh, here

named the camp, uh, Camp Shit

because of all the fertilizer that was in the area.

So we had to change it now when we did the--

the transfer of authority.

Ah, the r-- When we did the rotation

of the batteries down here,

we-- we switched the name to Battery 51 Mike

because the other battery's, uh, named 52 Mike.

We separate the radars to be able to expand

the... detection range that we have on the system.

So we are able to control the radars remotely

from different, uh, firing distribution cells.

Multiple radars can contribute to

create a recognized, uh, air picture.

So all of the different radars can work on the same targets

to give a real-time update on where it is

to be able to engage on it with our launchers.

So, uh, in a mission like this where we are placed in a cluster

with other, uh, surface-based, uh, air defense assets,

we are able to protect 360.

Uh...

So, the threats can come from any direction

and we will still be able to defend the asset.

This is the electro-optical sensor

and, uh, this is a tool that we use in the NASAMS

to be able to do kill assessment

and also verify what we see with the radars.

So we can separate the-- the strength

of the track and we can also,

uh, investigate if we are able to shoot it down

uh, in terms of the kill assessment.

Their mission is vigilance, not escalation.

To respond but never react.

Okay guys, we are gonna do exercise to get all launcher up.

Any questions?

Our teams are actually very tireless...

in, uh, performing their mission.

So, uh...

Um...

normally they...

train on their reloads or heightened alert states.

No? Okay. Are we ready?

- Yes. - Ready, set, go!

They've come not to fight,

but to keep the peace intact.

Our main effort is to make sure that

the Polish and NATO airspace is, uh, secured,

and that the-- the support into Ukraine can, uh, continue.

Uh, good, uh, work, guys. Uh...

And also, uh, faster than the last time.

So very good job...

For Norway, this deployment

is a promise that Europe's borders

will not be violated without consequence.

And that peace, once broken,

will always be rebuilt stronger.

We are fully integrated with both, uh, German allies,

uh, Polish allies and we also, um...

do some training with the-- the Americans in the area.

It's a great-- great way to,

uh, get to...

do a mission with our allies,

uh, in support, uh, to Ukraine.

Okay, so that was very effective.

The establishment went very smoothly.

From Ukraine's skies to Poland's forests,

the same shield endures.

Forged in Norway, trusted by NATO

and held steady by the quiet courage

of those who stand beneath it.

We are next to the FTC now.

I can't, uh, show you inside because of security reasons.

We are conducting live operations at the moment

and the operators need, uh, their space to operate.

Yeah, the Norwegian flag is, uh, here as a--

a patriotic symbol.

It reminds of, uh-- of home. And, uh, it, uh--

We just had our Constitution Day.

They actually had a celebration here with a table

and, uh, they had some special food

and, uh...

a lot of cake and some, uh--

some non-alcoholic bubbles.

Although we were on duty, we were able

to celebrate a bit, yeah.

So, it means a lot to us, uh, Norwegians.

We are very proud of our, uh, Constitution Day and although

we were on duty, it, uh, still worked out quite nice.

So, seeing what's happening in Ukraine right now reminds us

how we cannot take the freedom for granted.

So, being able to celebrate our own,

uh, Constitution Day the way we do

is, uh-- is important to us,

especially when we are soldiers out here.

Uh, what we're doing now is

also fighting for our own freedom

'cause we-- we represent a military unit

that, uh, is, uh--

is fighting for, uh, other people's, uh,

freedom elsewhere in the world.

We may not be the biggest, but, uh, we are powerful.

I am, uh, extremely proud to be working on this mission.

It is important, uh, for me, for my country,

for Ukraine and for the safety of, uh, the whole world.

It's very rewarding to be here,

not far from the border to Ukraine,

uh, and make sure-- making sure that they

have the support, uh, that they need.

But also to stand by our allies at the border

to make sure that, uh...

both the Polish

and the NATO airspace is secured and safe.

An air defender, he is given a task to protect,

for instance, an air force base

or some other critical infrastructure

or an area.

There are just two of them in the combat positions.

Two minds, one mission.

Then it's your job to defend that area

by using the effectors

of the NASAMS systems, which for a long time

have been the-- the AMRAAM missiles.

One tracks the picture.

The other weighs the risk.

And the air defender's job...

is in an integrated system because that's important.

Because he or she will get warnings

from the air surveillance sites

that possible threats are incoming.

0-1-1, this call sign's in action.

A shape appears on the screen.

Hostile track, 1-2-7-9.

Single allocation.

Enable fire.

Altitude, speed, intent.

We'll first get alert that-- that there's

an attack coming, if you're lucky.

But you can get some alerts if you're not.

The first thing you see is that

you have some pop-ups on your display.

Check 2-0-1-5.

Is it friend or foe?

Worth a missile?

What's below it?

Who else is in range?

Hostile track, 1-2-3-7. Single allocation...

First processor, are there any good guys here?

Identification.

Hostile track, 1-2-1-1. Ripple allocation...

This is not reflex.

This is triage under pressure.

Sometimes the answer is "hold."

Sometimes it is "fire."

But it's this mental thing that you see

this gorilla barreling down your way.

You go, "What do I do now? Okay, how can I handle that?"

And sometimes the right call is to let it go,

saving a missile for a later, deadlier moment.

That's where the war is fought.

Hostile track, 1-2-3-1.

Single allocation.

1-2-3-1, firing.

When they press the button...

...there is no cheering.

There is a quiet confirmation,

a shared look, and then the waiting.

Watching the intercept on the screen

as though it were theater slowed to match a heartbeat.

Target destroyed.

This is a continuous job you do

until... the sky is clear.

The story of air defense

is, at its heart, the story of time.

And the unending quest to get that extra vital second.

Each generation inherits that duty.

To see further than the enemy.

- Go! - Think faster than the threat...

...and to execute without error.

The future of NASAMS is to go higher and lower.

To make it a full-spectrum air defense capable system.

Yeah, I think it's gonna be

the backbone for Norway,

so it's gonna be good.

It's a bright future.

When we're moving into the next macro trends,

quantum computing and artificial intelligence,

what we see will come our way, and we are ready for that.

NASAMS is the

definitive chapter in that ongoing story.

The legacy of people who refuse

to let the sky belong to anyone else.

If you shoot down a missile

or a drone or whatever it is that's about

to attack you, you're saving lives.

That's what the NASAMS system,

and other GBAD systems, is doing every day.

What began as Norway's

quiet experiment has become something far greater.

A global guardian born in the service of peace.

I think the Norwegian spirit in NASAMS

is to maximize what you can do with minimal resources.

I'm really grateful for those, uh, wise decisions

that they did back in the '80s.

That was, uh, basically the driver

for the implementation of the NASAMS system.

I'm-- I'm very impressed.

When I was a cadet

at the Air Force Academy back in 1955,

my impressions of Kongsberg

and the team working there

continuously on a missile development cycle

over the next 70 years

impresses me tremendously, and does so today.

I know that this system makes a difference.

We will keep on doing this for a while longer.

I'm more than happy to do so, for as long as it takes.

And I really, really hope that we get

to continue doing this once this is over.

I've been doing this for a while.

I-- I was so lucky I got in at the start in '87.

And I-- I left, uh, in--

in '98, the Air Force, and then the continuation.

You're an air defender for life.

The people working here is what I'm proud of.

Everybody's contributing to develop what we are doing.

We are in the forefront when it comes to,

especially on the defense side,

making a difference in the world.

We never expected, I never expected it

to be tested in war, as it did.

And of course, that puts another

magnitude of meaningfulness.

Always meaningful to work for Kongsberg,

and that meaningfulness...

And that is...

...something to get emotional about.

Born of necessity,

forged in partnership,

proven in war,

and still, at its heart,

a machine of peace.