KONGSBERG capabilities tested in NATO live-fire exercise

More than a dozen allies are training side by side in the airspace and waters off Andøya as part of Formidable Shield 2025 – NATO’s largest and most important deterrence exercise this year.

Formidable Shield is also Europe’s largest live-fire air missile exercise at sea this year. Among the systems being used are NASAMS and NOMADS from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, reflecting the growing role of Norwegian-developed technology in NATO operations.

Running from 3 to 25 May, Formidable Shield will improve allied ability to cooperate in an integrated air and missile defence concept. Main activity in Norway from 5 to 10 May will include live-fire engagements against a variety of targets – both from land toward sea and from allied vessels at sea. Participating aircraft include the F-35 and P-8. During this phase, NASAMS and NOMADS will be used in live-fire scenarios from land, supported by the HIMARS rocket artillery system.

While NASAMS is a mobile air defence system primarily designed to protect bases, cities, airports, and other strategically important areas and critical infrastructure, NOMADS is intended to be deployed closer to and at the frontline.

“Formidable Shield is an important exercise for the Armed Forces and the Navy. It gives us the opportunity to practice in highly relevant areas such as air and missile defense together with our allies. Seamless cooperation with NATO is an important part of our defense concept, and during this exercise we can really challenge ourselves with demanding scenarios and advanced integration,” says Commander of the Navy, Flag Commander Trond Gimmingsrud.

After the activity in Norway, Formidable Shield continues with a live-fire exercise at the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland.