Norway and Germany have entered into a partnership agreement for the maintenance of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency press release
Cooperation on maintenance was recently established in Luxembourg through NATO’s procurement function NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), through a so-called partnership agreement.
In addition to being an agreement for Norway and Germany, the partnership agreement also opens up for other nations that have acquired, or will to procure NSM, to apply for membership.
“This partnership ensures a cost-effective and sustainable solution for the maintenance of the NSM, while strengthening cooperation between allied nations. Through NSPA, we get both economies of scale and a predictable and long-term organisation of maintenance and support,”
Director General Gro Jære of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency
“The fact that several nations join forces in a joint operation and maintenance programme through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency provides major advantages in areas such as maintenance, spare parts, documentation, configuration management, data sharing and experience.
In addition, it provides significantly lower costs for the individual nation, while at the same time placing a clear and long-term responsibility on NSPA,” Jære points out.
There is great interest from several nations that want to become part of the partnership. Initially, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
The Naval Strike Missile Program Office (NSM PO) in the Norwegian Defence Materiel Maritime Capabilities is already in dialogue with the Netherlands and Belgium as the next members of the partnership. Such partnership agreements are something the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency is also considering for several systems where it cooperates with other user nations.
