The Government of Norway has decided to proceed with the South Korean company Hanwha as the supplier of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ new system for land-based long-range precision missiles.
“Land-based long-range precision fires represent a new capability for the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Government’s priority is to rapidly strengthen Norway’s defence capability, and this procurement will enhance our ability to provide credible deterrence against potential adversaries. It constitutes a significant boost to the Army’s combat power and makes our country safer, in line with the Long-Term Defence Plan supported by the entire Storting,” said Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik.
The acquisition includes launch units and missiles, as well as integrated logistics support, training materials, and support systems. The total cost of the procurement is NOK 19 billion.
“This is one of the largest investments ever made in the Army. Our decision is based on a competition conducted by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (FMA) and a recommendation from the Armed Forces. The conclusion is that South Korean Hanwha is the only supplier that meets all requirements related to performance, delivery timeline, and cost framework,” Sandvik stated.
Four Suppliers
The competition was announced in November 2024 and included four suppliers: KNDS, Rheinmetall, Hanwha, and SAAB/Boeing.
The Armed Forces required a complete and integrated delivery of launchers, missiles, and command-and-control systems from a single system supplier.
By the submission deadline in March 2025, all bidders submitted offers, with the exception of SAAB/Boeing. The Defence Materiel Agency also evaluated an American alternative through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) with Lockheed Martin.
Only System Meeting All Requirements
Hanwha’s CHUNMOO system was the only bid that met all requirements of the competition. The agreement provides the Armed Forces with 16 launcher systems and a substantial number of missiles with three different ranges, including a capability of up to 500 kilometres. None of the other commercial bidders was able to deliver a comparable range.
The Armed Forces also assessed that the South Korean solution would be delivered faster and at a lower cost than the other alternatives.
Production lines for the missiles will be established in Poland, which is also procuring a significant number of the same system. This will strengthen supply security for Norway and other European customers.
Poland is acquiring nearly 300 systems with thousands of missiles and has already signed a contract with Hanwha for local missile production. Hanwha now plans for all European customers, including Norway, to be supplied from these facilities.
The German manufacturer KNDS was excluded from the competition in June 2025 following an initial evaluation and clarification meetings. According to the Defence Materiel Agency, the company did not meet the requirement to deliver a complete system.
The Ministry of Defence did not consider reopening the competition, as this would have entailed significant risks of increased costs, delayed delivery, and the need for new external quality assurance.
Delivery, Industry, and Financing
Under the contract, Hanwha will deliver launch units and training materials in 2028 and 2029, with missile deliveries scheduled for 2030 and 2031. This will allow the Armed Forces to begin personnel training early and achieve an operational capability within four years.
The company has also offered an extensive industrial cooperation agreement with Norwegian companies, equivalent to 120 percent of the contract value. In addition, Hanwha has agreed that payment will commence only upon system deliveries.
The Defence Materiel Agency has been authorised to sign the contract with Hanwha.
Contract signing is scheduled today 30 January.