Norway to Buy US Air Defense Missiles for More Than $360 Million

Norway has agreed with U.S. authorities to buy AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air defense missiles for more than 4 billion Norwegian crowns ($362.91 million), the Norwegian military said Monday.

"With more and newer missiles, the Norwegian Armed Forces will have a better ability to protect Norway against air attacks," Norway's Defense Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said in a statement from the Norwegian Defense Material Agency.

The missiles are primarily intended for Norway's ground-based air defense system, but can also be included in the weapons inventory of F-35A fighter aircraft, the agency said.

The procurement was among the largest single procurements of weapons ever made for the Norwegian Armed Forces, according to the agency.

Norway, which is a member of NATO and shares a border with Russia, has vowed to ramp up defense spending following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. ($1 = 11.0220 Norwegian crowns)