The State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Norway for M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and related equipment. The sale is estimated to cost $580 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) reported on this. Norway has requested sixteen M142 rocket systems, along with training equipment and logistics support. The proposed sale aims to improve the security of a NATO ally, according to the DSCA statement. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has delivered the necessary certification to Congress, where lawmakers will study the proposal for a month before deciding whether to block it.

In addition to the rocket systems, Norway has also ordered fifteen M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead pods, fifteen M31A2 GMLRS Unitary high explosive pods, and one hundred M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) pods. The principal contractor for this sale will be Lockheed Martin, based in Grand Prairie, TX. The agreement is expected to be signed in the near future. The sale will enhance Norway’s capability to counter existing and future threats and improve its collaboration with U.S. and other allied forces. The Norwegian Armed Forces are already familiar with a similar system, as they have been equipped with M270A1 MLRS units that can use GMLRS and ATACMS missiles. Some of these units had been transferred to Ukraine in 2022.

ملخص الأخبار

• The proposed sale aims to support the foreign policy and national security goals of the United States by enhancing a NATO ally’s security.
• Norway has no issues absorbing the new equipment into its Armed Forces, as stated by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
• 12 M270A1 MLRS units, capable of using GMLRS and ATACMS missiles, have been in Norway since 2005, with some transferred to Ukraine in 2022 for a similar system.