Greece awards MNOK 250 air defence contract to Kongsberg
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Raytheon of the US have signed a contract with the Greek Armed Forces to upgrade their HAWK air defence system. The total contract is valued at about NOK 1 billion. Kongsberg's share of the deal, covering a newly developed command and control centre, will be worth roughly MNOK 250. "This is an important contract for us since it's a NATO reference and represents a breakthrough on the export market", comments Tom Gerhardsen, president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. "The first export contract for a new system is always of major importance since it marks a breakthrough. In other words, this is a red letter day for our company as well as for Raytheon. This will undoubtedly help pave the way for further air defence system contracts", Gerhardsen continues. The contract with Greece is a result of the strategic alliance made with Raytheon in 1996. The Greek contract is the first export contract for this concept, which involves Kongsberg delivering a command and control centre for several different types of air defence missile systems. "It has taken years to develop the technology for Kongsberg's command and control solutions for various applications, and the company has co-operated closely with the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Greek contract is the first export order in a field identified by the Norwegian authorities as a strategic target area for the Norwegian defence industry", adds Vice President Tore Sannes. Signed in Athens today, the contract with Greece is scheduled to commence immediately and be completed in 38 months. The deal will mean approximately 130 man-years of labour for Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
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Greece awards MNOK 250 air defence contract to Kongsberg
