The US State Department has approved the sale of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles–Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER) and related equipment to Norway.
Oslo requested 100 AMRAAM-ERs and four AMRAAM AIM-120C-8 guidance sections for an estimated $405 million.
The potential purchase also includes AMRAAM containers and support equipment, spare parts, consumables, accessories, and repair and return support.
For Norwegian NASAMS
The AMRAAM-ER is intended to supplement and replace Air Intercept Missile 120B (AIM-120B) AMRAAMs being used for the ground-based air defense system Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS).
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.
The principal contractor will be RTX Corporation in Tucson, Arizona, and there are no known offset agreements with this potential sale.
AMRAAM-ER Variant Tested
Raytheon earlier this year tested an upgraded AMRAAM-ER variant featuring AIM-120C-8 guidance section for NASAMS.
It also features Nammo’s more robust 10-inch rocket motor, and Kongsberg’s 10-inch Control Actuator System, called the Norwegian Propulsion Stack.
Raytheon and Kongsberg have been developing the AMRAAM-ER variant since 2015. The extended range variant features a greater range and altitude than its predecessors.
