Latest news with #Kongsberg
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Nordic nations embrace total defense as the risk of sabotage and war rises
In 1944, Norwegian resistance fighters in the town of Kongsberg blew up a factory making cannons for occupying Nazi German forces during World War II. More than 80 years later, the municipality could once again be a target for sabotage and is preparing for war. The local authorities have dusted off Cold War-era bomb shelters, installed a new satellite communications system and are working with the military on plans to help a deployment of Western forces in case of conflict. 'The lesson we learned from Ukraine is that everybody pitched in,' said Odd John Resser, Kongsberg's Emergency Planning Officer, noting breweries that pivoted to making Molotov cocktails, local authorities that built schools in shelters and weapons factories which ramped up production. Across the Nordic nations, governments are boosting defense spending, reassessing security and pushing the concept of total defense. It's an approach which mobilizes the whole of society to defend against military and non-military threats. As Moscow wages war in Ukraine, Western officials are accusing Russia of being behind a campaign of sabotage, arson and cyberattacks and there are jitters across the continent about whether Europe can rely on the U.S. as a partner. The Norwegian government published its first national security strategy in May, saying the country is facing its most serious security situation since World War Two. 'After decades of peace,' it warned, 'a new era has begun for Norway and for Europe." 'What is now happening in Ukraine has to be a wake-up call for all and we must strengthen our defense to prevent anything like that from happening to us,' Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told The Associated Press. Total defense Norway announced in January that it plans to start building bomb shelters in new buildings after halting the practice in 1998. The Swedish government appointed its first minister for civil defense in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Residents aged 16 to 70 are required to serve in the event or threat of war, either in the military or helping to provide rescue, firefighting, healthcare or other services. Finland's civil defense shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86% of the Finnish population. One public shelter in Helsinki can fit 6,000 people, is designed to withstand the fallout from a nuclear attack and is in an almost constant state of readiness with beds and sinks tucked away behind blast doors and an underground hockey pitch. Norway and some other Nordic nations also tell residents to have enough food and water stored for seven days. 'How would you and your nearest family manage if the electricity supply was cut off for a longer period? What would you do if the water supply failed?' the Norwegian handbook asks. AP spoke to 11 people in Kongsberg and the majority said they had some form of supplies. While most didn't have a stockpile for seven days – and some had nothing at all – two people said they could probably survive for more than a week. 'Russia is very close to Norway and you don't know what's going to happen. I would rather be prepared than not prepared,' said Katina Bakke, who works in a sports shop in Kongsberg. Community support for troops Although Norwegian authorities are not expecting an imminent conflict, if war comes to Northern Europe, Kongsberg could be critical. The municipality, 85 kilometers (52 miles) southwest of the Norwegian capital Oslo with a population of around 27,000 people, is the headquarters of the Kongsberg Group, which makes high-precision weapons currently used in Ukraine. The company opened a new factory in 2024, ramping up production of advanced missiles used by multiple European countries. The town could also play host to troops if there is a conflict. In May, local authorities across the region met with the military to plan support for Western troops with logistics and healthcare in the event of a deployment. 'If the allies are coming to Norway, either staying, training, doing war work or in transit towards the east, we will have a big task for the whole community to support that,' Resser said. By readying for the worst, Resser said, the municipality also prepares for other — more likely — threats such as a pandemic, extreme weather or power outages such as the one that immobilized Spain and Portugal in April. Power generation and print-outs Authorities in Kongsberg were not always so proactive but a flood in 2007 and an exercise simulating a four-day power disruption in 2016 made them realize they needed to step up. They did a risk assessment, as obliged by law, identified more than 30 vulnerabilities and started spending money on contingency plans. Back-up power generators were bought for the town hall, medical facilities and old people's homes as well as a satellite link to be able to call for help. In case of a cyberattack, the local health authorities print and file critical patient data once a week. There were teething problems — the first satellite phones purchased in 2017 could only connect from the local graveyard which was 'not practical' in -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) in winter, said Resser. The second system was discovered to be broken in November last year, shortly after Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president. Unsure of what Trump's election would mean for Norway, the local authorities chose a Norwegian satellite communications provider over an American competitor, Resser said, because the municipality wanted to make sure it had 'national control' in an emergency. The 'key difference' in the resilience model used across the Nordic nations is that it 'empowers' local authorities to make decisions said Martha Turnbull, Director at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, Finland. In the Nordics it's not up to the army to bring in bottles of water in a crisis; rather, there is the 'expectation' that local authorities will respond, along with civilians and businesses, Turnbull said. Sabotage Europeans elsewhere need to realize the threat from Moscow can reach 'much deeper' than nations bordering Russia, said Matthew Redhead, a national security expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. 'The threat is rising,' from Russia's campaign of vandalism, sabotage and arson across Europe and Moscow could target energy grids, internet cables and water supplies, Norway's Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik told AP. 'Sabotage has become one of the threats that is now on the radar to an extent that we haven't seen probably since the Second World War' said Even Tvedt, Chief Security Officer at the Kongsberg Group. Reeling off suspicious incidents at the company, he detailed how in 2024 an activist tried to destroy engines for fighter jets, drones were spotted over an area where it's illegal to fly and attempts were made to get through a factory perimeter. It's not always possible to identify motivation or to say if the incidents are separate, linked or just 'some kid' flying a drone, but the number of suspicious events indicates sabotage is highly possible, Tvedt said. Moscow is ramping up its activities in Europe to a 'pre-war' level, said Redhead, but away from Russia ordinary people and local authorities may be less ready for a crisis because 'we don't think we will be on the front line.' 'Freaking people out about this at some point is potentially quite necessary.'
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Nordic nations embrace total defense as the risk of sabotage and war rises
KONGSBERG, Norway — In 1944, Norwegian resistance fighters in the town of Kongsberg blew up a factory making cannons for occupying Nazi German forces during World War II. More than 80 years later, the municipality could once again be a target for sabotage and is preparing for war. The local authorities have dusted off Cold War-era bomb shelters, installed a new satellite communications system and are working with the military on plans to help a deployment of Western forces in case of conflict.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Nordic nations embrace total defense as the risk of sabotage and war rises
KONGSBERG, Norway (AP) — In 1944, Norwegian resistance fighters in the town of Kongsberg blew up a factory making cannons for occupying Nazi German forces during World War II. More than 80 years later, the municipality could once again be a target for sabotage and is preparing for war. The local authorities have dusted off Cold War-era bomb shelters, installed a new satellite communications system and are working with the military on plans to help a deployment of Western forces in case of conflict. 'The lesson we learned from Ukraine is that everybody pitched in,' said Odd John Resser, Kongsberg's Emergency Planning Officer, noting breweries that pivoted to making Molotov cocktails, local authorities that built schools in shelters and weapons factories which ramped up production. Across the Nordic nations, governments are boosting defense spending, reassessing security and pushing the concept of total defense. It's an approach which mobilizes the whole of society to defend against military and non-military threats. As Moscow wages war in Ukraine, Western officials are accusing Russia of being behind a campaign of sabotage, arson and cyberattacks and there are jitters across the continent about whether Europe can rely on the U.S. as a partner. The Norwegian government published its first national security strategy in May, saying the country is facing its most serious security situation since World War Two. 'After decades of peace,' it warned, 'a new era has begun for Norway and for Europe.' 'What is now happening in Ukraine has to be a wake-up call for all and we must strengthen our defense to prevent anything like that from happening to us,' Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told The Associated Press. Total defense Norway announced in January that it plans to start building bomb shelters in new buildings after halting the practice in 1998. The Swedish government appointed its first minister for civil defense in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Residents aged 16 to 70 are required to serve in the event or threat of war, either in the military or helping to provide rescue, firefighting, healthcare or other services. Finland's civil defense shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86% of the Finnish population. One public shelter in Helsinki can fit 6,000 people, is designed to withstand the fallout from a nuclear attack and is in an almost constant state of readiness with beds and sinks tucked away behind blast doors and an underground hockey pitch. Norway and some other Nordic nations also tell residents to have enough food and water stored for seven days. 'How would you and your nearest family manage if the electricity supply was cut off for a longer period? What would you do if the water supply failed?' the Norwegian handbook asks. AP spoke to 11 people in Kongsberg and the majority said they had some form of supplies. While most didn't have a stockpile for seven days – and some had nothing at all – two people said they could probably survive for more than a week. 'Russia is very close to Norway and you don't know what's going to happen. I would rather be prepared than not prepared,' said Katina Bakke, who works in a sports shop in Kongsberg. Community support for troops Although Norwegian authorities are not expecting an imminent conflict, if war comes to Northern Europe, Kongsberg could be critical. The municipality, 85 kilometers (52 miles) southwest of the Norwegian capital Oslo with a population of around 27,000 people, is the headquarters of the Kongsberg Group, which makes high-precision weapons currently used in Ukraine. The company opened a new factory in 2024, ramping up production of advanced missiles used by multiple European countries. The town could also play host to troops if there is a conflict. In May, local authorities across the region met with the military to plan support for Western troops with logistics and healthcare in the event of a deployment. 'If the allies are coming to Norway, either staying, training, doing war work or in transit towards the east, we will have a big task for the whole community to support that,' Resser said. By readying for the worst, Resser said, the municipality also prepares for other — more likely — threats such as a pandemic, extreme weather or power outages such as the one that immobilized Spain and Portugal in April. Power generation and print-outs Authorities in Kongsberg were not always so proactive but a flood in 2007 and an exercise simulating a four-day power disruption in 2016 made them realize they needed to step up. They did a risk assessment, as obliged by law, identified more than 30 vulnerabilities and started spending money on contingency plans. Back-up power generators were bought for the town hall, medical facilities and old people's homes as well as a satellite link to be able to call for help. In case of a cyberattack, the local health authorities print and file critical patient data once a week. There were teething problems — the first satellite phones purchased in 2017 could only connect from the local graveyard which was 'not practical' in -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) in winter, said Resser. The second system was discovered to be broken in November last year, shortly after Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president. Unsure of what Trump's election would mean for Norway, the local authorities chose a Norwegian satellite communications provider over an American competitor, Resser said, because the municipality wanted to make sure it had 'national control' in an emergency. The 'key difference' in the resilience model used across the Nordic nations is that it 'empowers' local authorities to make decisions said Martha Turnbull, Director at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, Finland. In the Nordics it's not up to the army to bring in bottles of water in a crisis; rather, there is the 'expectation' that local authorities will respond, along with civilians and businesses, Turnbull said. Sabotage Europeans elsewhere need to realize the threat from Moscow can reach 'much deeper' than nations bordering Russia, said Matthew Redhead, a national security expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. 'The threat is rising,' from Russia's campaign of vandalism, sabotage and arson across Europe and Moscow could target energy grids, internet cables and water supplies, Norway's Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik told AP. 'Sabotage has become one of the threats that is now on the radar to an extent that we haven't seen probably since the Second World War' said Even Tvedt, Chief Security Officer at the Kongsberg Group. Reeling off suspicious incidents at the company, he detailed how in 2024 an activist tried to destroy engines for fighter jets, drones were spotted over an area where it's illegal to fly and attempts were made to get through a factory perimeter. It's not always possible to identify motivation or to say if the incidents are separate, linked or just 'some kid' flying a drone, but the number of suspicious events indicates sabotage is highly possible, Tvedt said. Moscow is ramping up its activities in Europe to a 'pre-war' level, said Redhead, but away from Russia ordinary people and local authorities may be less ready for a crisis because 'we don't think we will be on the front line.' 'Freaking people out about this at some point is potentially quite necessary.'
The Age
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Welcome to the era of the ‘affordable' cruise missile
'We are manufacturing guided weapons, rocket assisted take-off for low-cost cruise missiles, and we have the capability to produce in-house and are able to deliver it within a couple of months, not in five years,' Johnson told this masthead. The company, with a staff of 42, manufactures and produces solid rocket motors, as well as customised rocket-assisted take off assemblies, which can launch inexpensive cruise missiles vertically from the ground. Black Sky Industries regularly receives requests for proposals from democracies around the globe, Johnson says. Australia's government understands a shift towards missiles is taking place. The Albanese government is backing sovereign guided-weapon production, having landed a deal for Norway-based Kongsberg to assemble naval and joint strike missiles in Australia. A government deal with Lockheed Martin Australia will allow low-rate production of 300 GMLRS and a full-rate production of the 4000 GMLRS to Australia. But as Johnson explains, in a modern war a few hundred rounds are 'one day of activity – not even a day, a couple of hours'. Loading Black Sky Industries says it's delivering capability for the Australian Defence Force and its allies 'with a focus on scaling geopolitical instability', Johnson says. Looking at what's happening in Ukraine and in the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed Houthis have launched inexpensive Tehran-supplied cruise missiles at passing ships, Johnson says arming for war won't be expensive in future. Sydney-based defence analyst Chris Flaherty said the new crop of cruise missiles used cheaper, more autonomous guidance and no longer required the complex infrastructure for deployment as in the past. 'What we're actually seeing, which I think is causing surprise and shock strategically within the defence community, is how countries can actually come from nowhere and invent a weapon system that actually performs remarkably similar roles to cruise missiles.' The lower cost means more cruise missiles can be produced and launched in swarms. The new strategy means 'mass-producing these weapons as quickly as possible and delivering onto the target to achieve overwhelming force', he said. The trend lines of inexpensive hardware and cheaper, more powerful electronics were in place even before February 2022, when Russia expanded its low-boil war on Ukraine to a full-scale invasion. Weapons-makers can now use off-the-shelf components, 3D printed, modular parts which reduce the complexity of the missile, and also lower labour costs. In turn, this lowers the overall production price, further enabling mass manufacturing of missiles. The cheaper cost of the technology lowers the bar for entry to the cruise missile business, which used to be the domain of great powers which relied on specialised access to satellites, intelligence and complex supporting systems. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Iran's supplying of the Houthis with cruise missiles and drones to harass ships in the Red Sea paved a new way. Today, numerous companies are springing up or pivoting to these new cheaper cruise missiles. Anduril Industries, Zone 5 Technologies, CoAspire, Ares Industries, and Ukraine's Trembita homemade cruise missile are examples. At the same time, Ukraine has ramped up its missile production since Russia's invasion in early 2022. After struggling at the start of Russia's invasion to source cruise missiles, Ukraine's minister for strategic industries said last month missile production had expanded 'eightfold' over the previous year. Ukraine's experience is instructive. Iran, China, North Korea have their own ambitious programs, which rely on mass quantities and low costs. It would be reckless for democracies to not follow suit. Anduril Australia says its exploring opportunities to test and build low-cost cruise missiles in Australia. 'Manufacturing affordable cruise missiles at scale is central to achieving resilience and a deterrence effect for the ADF,' said Pete Quinn, vice president of strategy for Anduril Australia. He notes that Australia is 'an ideal testing location because of its world-class ranges and talented Australian workforce'. Affordable mass Cheaper missiles mean more can be made and yet more required to win a battle. Lockheed Martin affordable mass director Scott Callaway says: 'With the strategic environment in the Pacific undergoing notable change, our customers are seeking a new class of low-cost missiles that can be manufactured fast and on demand, so their inventory never runs dry in combat.' Callaway says the new class of missiles has been dubbed 'affordable mass', with the idea being 'they can put a lot more missiles (mass) on target'. The company's common multi-mission truck, or CMMT missile, can be launched by fighters, bombers, airlifters and other air- and ground-launch platforms. The CMMT, also pronounced 'Comet', uses 'modular airframes' that can be sized to accommodate a variety of payloads and engines - employing 3D printed or commercial parts 'to lower cost'. 'Convergence' The modular design, aided by cheaper electronics and 3D-printed parts, enables 'rapid modification' in which new 'seekers, payloads and engines' can be swapped in for whatever the mission requirements, Callaway said. The Iranian Shahed drone, which demonstrated the ease with which unmanned vehicles, inexpensive guidance systems and explosives could be brought together, helped revolutionise the trend of affordable drones and missiles, a difference which has increasingly blurred. Flaherty says there has been a 'convergence' between the concept of cruise missiles and the concept of drones in the past few years. 'If you think in traditional terms, a cruise missile is a particular weapon system arising from a certain date in history,' he said, pointing to the complex launch systems used for Tomahawk missiles. Loading 'If you look now at what's happening in Ukraine, we're starting to see rocket-powered drones that have considerable range capabilities with cruise missile-type qualities.' Such weapons can navigate over terrain, lock on to targets and deliver warheads with precision – the entire original concept behind the cruise missile. Now that these changes are afoot, they could trigger a repricing of whole swaths of weaponry. These shifts toward more information-driven manufacturing allow production itself to be spread across networks that can respond to needs of the war effort. Distributed production Callaway says Lockheed Martin 'can accelerate production and meet combat surge requests by duplicating production cells and standing up multiple production lines in the US and partner nations'. Tapping multiple suppliers, missile assemblies can be built and assembled rapidly. 'We call this distributed production,' said Callaway. The customer can buy a basic kit designed for rapid production that a specialised missile can be built around, Callaway says of the 'Comet'. Changes for Australia As the economics of conflict change, so will threats for Australia. Last year, Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy gave a speech which outlined the altered world. In World War II, Nazi Germany used V-1 and V-2 guided rockets against Britain. Missiles soon became the subject of strategic thinking during the Cold War, he said, but they have evolved much further since. 'Analysts believe we are now on the cusp of a new Indo-Pacific missile age,' Conroy said. China, North Korea, Russia (also a Pacific power), the US, South Korea are all investing in missile technology.
Sydney Morning Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Welcome to the era of the ‘affordable' cruise missile
'We are manufacturing guided weapons, rocket assisted take-off for low-cost cruise missiles, and we have the capability to produce in-house and are able to deliver it within a couple of months, not in five years,' Johnson told this masthead. The company, with a staff of 42, manufactures and produces solid rocket motors, as well as customised rocket-assisted take off assemblies, which can launch inexpensive cruise missiles vertically from the ground. Black Sky Industries regularly receives requests for proposals from democracies around the globe, Johnson says. Australia's government understands a shift towards missiles is taking place. The Albanese government is backing sovereign guided-weapon production, having landed a deal for Norway-based Kongsberg to assemble naval and joint strike missiles in Australia. A government deal with Lockheed Martin Australia will allow low-rate production of 300 GMLRS and a full-rate production of the 4000 GMLRS to Australia. But as Johnson explains, in a modern war a few hundred rounds are 'one day of activity – not even a day, a couple of hours'. Loading Black Sky Industries says it's delivering capability for the Australian Defence Force and its allies 'with a focus on scaling geopolitical instability', Johnson says. Looking at what's happening in Ukraine and in the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed Houthis have launched inexpensive Tehran-supplied cruise missiles at passing ships, Johnson says arming for war won't be expensive in future. Sydney-based defence analyst Chris Flaherty said the new crop of cruise missiles used cheaper, more autonomous guidance and no longer required the complex infrastructure for deployment as in the past. 'What we're actually seeing, which I think is causing surprise and shock strategically within the defence community, is how countries can actually come from nowhere and invent a weapon system that actually performs remarkably similar roles to cruise missiles.' The lower cost means more cruise missiles can be produced and launched in swarms. The new strategy means 'mass-producing these weapons as quickly as possible and delivering onto the target to achieve overwhelming force', he said. The trend lines of inexpensive hardware and cheaper, more powerful electronics were in place even before February 2022, when Russia expanded its low-boil war on Ukraine to a full-scale invasion. Weapons-makers can now use off-the-shelf components, 3D printed, modular parts which reduce the complexity of the missile, and also lower labour costs. In turn, this lowers the overall production price, further enabling mass manufacturing of missiles. The cheaper cost of the technology lowers the bar for entry to the cruise missile business, which used to be the domain of great powers which relied on specialised access to satellites, intelligence and complex supporting systems. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Iran's supplying of the Houthis with cruise missiles and drones to harass ships in the Red Sea paved a new way. Today, numerous companies are springing up or pivoting to these new cheaper cruise missiles. Anduril Industries, Zone 5 Technologies, CoAspire, Ares Industries, and Ukraine's Trembita homemade cruise missile are examples. At the same time, Ukraine has ramped up its missile production since Russia's invasion in early 2022. After struggling at the start of Russia's invasion to source cruise missiles, Ukraine's minister for strategic industries said last month missile production had expanded 'eightfold' over the previous year. Ukraine's experience is instructive. Iran, China, North Korea have their own ambitious programs, which rely on mass quantities and low costs. It would be reckless for democracies to not follow suit. Anduril Australia says its exploring opportunities to test and build low-cost cruise missiles in Australia. 'Manufacturing affordable cruise missiles at scale is central to achieving resilience and a deterrence effect for the ADF,' said Pete Quinn, vice president of strategy for Anduril Australia. He notes that Australia is 'an ideal testing location because of its world-class ranges and talented Australian workforce'. Affordable mass Cheaper missiles mean more can be made and yet more required to win a battle. Lockheed Martin affordable mass director Scott Callaway says: 'With the strategic environment in the Pacific undergoing notable change, our customers are seeking a new class of low-cost missiles that can be manufactured fast and on demand, so their inventory never runs dry in combat.' Callaway says the new class of missiles has been dubbed 'affordable mass', with the idea being 'they can put a lot more missiles (mass) on target'. The company's common multi-mission truck, or CMMT missile, can be launched by fighters, bombers, airlifters and other air- and ground-launch platforms. The CMMT, also pronounced 'Comet', uses 'modular airframes' that can be sized to accommodate a variety of payloads and engines - employing 3D printed or commercial parts 'to lower cost'. 'Convergence' The modular design, aided by cheaper electronics and 3D-printed parts, enables 'rapid modification' in which new 'seekers, payloads and engines' can be swapped in for whatever the mission requirements, Callaway said. The Iranian Shahed drone, which demonstrated the ease with which unmanned vehicles, inexpensive guidance systems and explosives could be brought together, helped revolutionise the trend of affordable drones and missiles, a difference which has increasingly blurred. Flaherty says there has been a 'convergence' between the concept of cruise missiles and the concept of drones in the past few years. 'If you think in traditional terms, a cruise missile is a particular weapon system arising from a certain date in history,' he said, pointing to the complex launch systems used for Tomahawk missiles. Loading 'If you look now at what's happening in Ukraine, we're starting to see rocket-powered drones that have considerable range capabilities with cruise missile-type qualities.' Such weapons can navigate over terrain, lock on to targets and deliver warheads with precision – the entire original concept behind the cruise missile. Now that these changes are afoot, they could trigger a repricing of whole swaths of weaponry. These shifts toward more information-driven manufacturing allow production itself to be spread across networks that can respond to needs of the war effort. Distributed production Callaway says Lockheed Martin 'can accelerate production and meet combat surge requests by duplicating production cells and standing up multiple production lines in the US and partner nations'. Tapping multiple suppliers, missile assemblies can be built and assembled rapidly. 'We call this distributed production,' said Callaway. The customer can buy a basic kit designed for rapid production that a specialised missile can be built around, Callaway says of the 'Comet'. Changes for Australia As the economics of conflict change, so will threats for Australia. Last year, Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy gave a speech which outlined the altered world. In World War II, Nazi Germany used V-1 and V-2 guided rockets against Britain. Missiles soon became the subject of strategic thinking during the Cold War, he said, but they have evolved much further since. 'Analysts believe we are now on the cusp of a new Indo-Pacific missile age,' Conroy said. China, North Korea, Russia (also a Pacific power), the US, South Korea are all investing in missile technology.
