Norway and France Sign Major Agreement to Bolster Ukraine’s Air-to-Ground and Surveillance Capabilities
OSLO — Norway and France have solidified a new bilateral agreement to significantly ramp up military support for Ukraine, committing billions in funding for advanced weaponry and surveillance technology. The deal, announced on Thursday, aims to provide Ukraine with critical capabilities in situational awareness and air-to-ground combat as it continues its defense against Russian aggression.
Under the terms of the agreement, Norway will contribute approximately NOK 4.2 billion ($443 million) to finance the acquisition of defense material. In parallel, France has agreed to guarantee a loan of approximately NOK 3 billion ($316 million), effectively creating a substantial financial package to source equipment directly from the French defense industry.
The Norwegian Ministry of Defence confirmed that the package focuses on acquiring a “large volume” of air-to-ground weapons, as well as systems designed to enhance surveillance and situational awareness on the battlefield. While the specific types of munitions were not explicitly detailed in the official statement, defense analysts note the description closely matches the AASM Hammer—a precision-guided glide bomb manufactured by France’s Safran, which has already seen effective use by Ukrainian forces.
“The projects in this agreement meet crucial Ukraine priorities and have been identified following close dialogue with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence,” Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik said in a statement. “The projects we have identified in this agreement will provide rapid effects for Ukraine.”
The agreement allows Norway and France to coordinate the donation of “unique and desired defense material,” leveraging French industrial capacity to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs. This collaboration marks a deepening of ties between the two NATO allies in their joint efforts to sustain Ukraine’s military operations.
This latest commitment follows a series of European initiatives to ensure long-term support for Kyiv. By combining direct financial contributions from Oslo with loan guarantees from Paris, the initiative underscores a creative approach to overcoming budget constraints and accelerating the delivery of high-tech armaments to the front lines.
* globalbankingandfinance.com
* spacewar.com
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* defence24.pl
* straitstimes.com
