OSLO, Norway — Kongsberg Gruppen has signed a contract with the Netherlands worth approximately NOK 1.5 billion to expand the country’s CITADEL air defense program.
According to Kongsberg, the contract includes additional National Manoeuvre Air Defence System (NOMADS) units and an expansion of the Netherlands’ existing NASAMS ground-based air defense system. The new deliveries will increase the overall capacity of the CITADEL program, which Kongsberg and the Netherlands signed the original contract for in 2024.
More NOMADS and NASAMS Systems
NOMADS is a highly mobile short-range air defense system designed to provide protection for maneuvering ground forces. Kongsberg says the system is intended to protect forces and their routes of advance in contested land environments.
The NOMADS configuration combines command and control, sensors and weapons on the same platform. It uses a 3D AESA radar and can carry four AIM-9X Block 2 Sidewinder missiles ready to fire. The system also has a 0.50-caliber heavy machine gun mounted on a remote weapon station.
The new contract will also increase the Netherlands’ NASAMS capability. NASAMS is a ground-based air defense system developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Raytheon. The Netherlands has operated NASAMS since 2006.
Part of the CITADEL Program
The latest agreement follows the larger contract signed by Kongsberg and the Netherlands in November 2024 for NASAMS and NOMADS. That earlier contract was valued at approximately NOK 12 billion, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2028.
The CITADEL program combines short- and medium-range ground-based air defense capabilities. Kongsberg previously stated that NOMADS is designed to operate together with NASAMS and other NATO systems, supporting both autonomous and networked operations.
The Netherlands has also identified ground-based air defense as an important capability for protecting military forces and other assets. Dutch Defence Ministry information describes NASAMS as part of the country’s ground-based air defense capability.
With the new NOK 1.5 billion contract, the Netherlands will add further NOMADS systems and expand its NASAMS capability, increasing the capacity of the CITADEL air defense program.
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