NASAMS
The NASAMS is a medium-range, distributed, networked air-defense system jointly developed by Norway and the United States, built around the ground-launched AMRAAM and proven in combat in Ukraine.
A networked, medium-range air-defense system co-developed by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and the U.S.’s Raytheon, built around the AIM-120 AMRAAM — dispersible, highly active in Ukraine, and the most widely exported NATO SAM of its class.
Overview
The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) is a medium-range air-defense system fielded by Norway and the United States, and exported to over a dozen operators. Unlike traditional centralized SAM batteries, NASAMS distributes its networked launchers and radars over tens of kilometers, enabling survivable, overlapping coverage against aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems. The system relies on the combat-proven AIM-120 AMRAAM — a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile adapted for ground launch — and its extended-range AMRAAM-ER variant. Egypt’s 2025 order, notified via a $4.67 billion DSCA package, underscores the system’s sustained international demand.
Development
NASAMS was first deployed by the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1998, marrying a Kongsberg fire-distribution center with Raytheon’s AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar and a six-round canister launcher for the AMRAAM. The system upgraded to NASAMS 2 around 2007, introducing the Sentinel AN/MPQ-64F1 radar, enhanced networking and the ability to integrate additional sensors and effectors. The current configuration, NASAMS 3, brings the AMRAAM-ER and a fully open-architecture command-and-control suite.
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