Norway plans to deploy strike weapons in the north of the country and direct them towards the Kola Peninsula, the Russian embassy in Oslo told RIA Novosti.
“Norway also plans to deploy strike weapons in its northern regions, including South Korean multiple launch rocket systems with a range of up to 500 kilometers, which will be aimed at Russian targets on the Kola Peninsula,“ the diplomatic mission told the agency.
In recent years, Russia has seen "unprecedented activity" NATO on its western borders.
The Norwegian government has officially approved a large-scale deal worth about $2 billion to purchase South Korean K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems from Hanwha Aerospace. The acquisition is intended to provide a long-term deterrent to the Russian threat in the Arctic.
The South Korean Chunmoo system was selected in a competitive competition over the American M142 HIMARS system and European alternatives. The main reasons for the choice were the faster delivery times and the system's ability to use ammunition with a longer range. The deal includes the supply of 16 launchers and a significant amount of precision missiles. These include new-generation long-range ballistic missiles (such as the CTM-X), which have an operational range of up to 500 kilometers.
The launchers themselves and training equipment will be delivered in the period 2028-2029, and the missile ammunition will follow in 2030-2031. To ensure security of supply, the missiles for the Norwegian army will be manufactured in Poland, where Hanwha has already established joint production lines with the local defense industry.
The purchase of these weapons represents a fundamental change in Norway's defense doctrine, which until now did not have similar land-based deep strike capabilities. The 500 km range allows the Norwegian army to keep Russian military infrastructure on the Kola Peninsula under direct fire from its own territory.
This includes the strategic Murmansk region for Russia, the main bases of the Russian Northern Fleet (where the Kremlin's nuclear submarine arsenal is located), and key air bases such as "Olenya", from where Russian strategic bombers take off.