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Nammo

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Nammo AS
Company typePrivate
IndustryArms industry
Aerospace industry
Founded1998
HeadquartersRaufoss, Norway
Key people
Morten Brandtzæg (CEO),
ProductsAmmunition, missiles, explosives, rocket engines, and propulsion systems
NOK 1061 million (2016)
Number of employees
2200 (2017)
ParentNorwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry (50%)
Patria 50% (50.1% owned by Government of Finland and 49.9% by Kongsberg Gruppen)
Websitewww.nammo.com

Nammo, short for Nordic Ammunition Company, is a Norwegian/Finnish aerospace and defence group specialized in production of ammunition, rocket engines and space applications. The company has subsidiaries in Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and Canada. The company is owned 50/50 by the Norwegian Government (represented by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries) and the Finnish defence company Patria. The company has its headquarters in Raufoss, Norway.

The company has five business units: Small Caliber Division, Medium & Large Caliber Division, Missile Products Division, Demil Division and Nammo Defense Systems.

History

Nammo was founded in 1998 by Raufoss (Norway), Patria (Finland), and Celsius (Sweden). The Lapua cartridge factory in Finland is also part of the Nammo group as Nammo Lapua Oy. In 2005, the present joint ownership between Patria and the Norwegian Government was established.[1]

In 2007, Nammo acquired the US munitions company Talley, Inc. after purchasing 100% of its shares. In 2009, it was revealed the Israeli Defense Forces purchased 28,000 M72 LAWs from Nammo Talley, along with weapons parts and training missiles valued at NOK 600 million. These munitions would later be used in Operation Cast Lead.[2][3] According Nammo Raufoss Administrative Director Lars Harald Lied, the company also produces 12.7mm "multi-purpose" ammunition[4] that is used by both American and Norwegian soldiers in the War in Afghanistan, often in contravention of international law.[5]

In addition to alleged international law violations, the company has also caused controversy in Norway, whose laws prohibit Norwegian companies from selling munitions for conflict purposes. Nammo Information Director Sissel Solum alleges that Nammo bears no responsibility for the use of their munitions after purchase, although some claim (including the Norwegian Church Aid and PRIO) that this is a breach of the intended spirit of national export regulations.[2][6] The company has also been able to circumvent Norwegian laws and avoid prosecution by outsourcing manufacturing to plants in the US, Finland, and Sweden.[2]

Products

Missile propulsion

Nammo produces the following missiles and missile propulsion systems:[7]

Orbital launch vehicle

In January 2013, Nammo and the Andøya Rocket Range spaceport announced that they would be "developing an orbital Nanosatellite launch vehicle (NLV) rocket system called North Star that will use a standardized hybrid motor, clustered in different numbers and arrangements, to build two types of sounding rockets and an orbital launcher" that would be able to deliver a 10 kg (22 lb) nanosat into polar orbit.[8][needs update]

Small caliber ammunition

Medium and large caliber ammunition

As of 2018, Nammo produces the following non-exhaustive list of medium and large caliber ammunition:[9]

Shoulder Fired Systems

Nammo has manufactured shoulder fired systems since the 1960s, with licence production of the M72 LAW beginning at Raufoss in Norway in 1966. In 2007, Nammo acquired the US munitions company Talley, Inc. after purchasing 100 % of its shares. Today Nammo has operations 10 places in the US (Nammo Defense Systems Inc.) and is the only licensed manufacturer of the M72 LAW, with production lines in Raufoss and Mesa, Arizona.

In addition to the M72, Mesa also manufactures the M141 Bunker Defeat Munition for the United States Army, while Nammo’s facilities in Columbus Mississippi manufactures ammunition for the SMAW-system for the United States Marine Corps.

Rocket engine consultancy/development

In 2019 Nammo was awarded an ESA contract to initiate development of a reusable rocket engine for the ascent stage of the HERACLES lunar lander.[10] The engine may be fed by electrically driven pumps, from low pressure propellant tanks, which may enable in-space refueling.[10]

References

  1. ^ "History of Lapua". Nammo Lapua. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Leer-Salvesen, Tarjei; Thorleifsson, Renie; Martiniussen, Erik (10 February 2009). "Norge tjener på våpensalg til Israel" [Norway Profits from Weapon Sales to Israel] (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Israel - M72A7 Light Anti-Armor Weapons (LAAWs)" (PDF) (Press release). DSCA. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  4. ^ Vingelsgård, Lars (10 February 2010). ""Deler kroppen i to"" ["Splits the Body in Two"] (in Norwegian). Under Dusken. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  5. ^ Johnsen, Nilas (7 October 2008). "Dreper fra 1380 meter" [Kills from 1380 meters] (in Norwegian). VG. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  6. ^ Løkeland-Stai, Espen (26 November 2015). "Fra Nammo til Israel" [From Nammo to Israel] (in Norwegian). Dagsavisen. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. ^ Missile Products (PDF). Nammo AS.
  8. ^ Lindsey, Clark (2013-01-28). "North Star rocket family with hybrid propulsion". NewSpace Watch. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  9. ^ Nammo Ammunition Handbook (PDF) (5 ed.). Nammo AS. 2018.
  10. ^ a b Developing a high-performance rocket motor for the Heracles mission to the Moon May 2019
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