Norway to supply drones, air defense components to Ukraine

Norway said Wednesday it would supply ultra-light drones and components for air defense missile systems to Ukraine, specifying details for a military aid package announced this week.

On Tuesday Norway announced it was increasing the size of its military aid to Ukraine this year, adding an additional 2.5 billion kroner ($240 million).

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This means Oslo will allocate 10 billion kroner to military aid and 7.5 billion to civilian support this year, rather than the 7.5 billion initially planned for each.

Following up on Wednesday, Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram specified that the aid would consist of 1,000 Black Hornet nanodrones — tiny drones designed to help soldiers scout out their surroundings — and components for NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems, to complement the systems of his type that Lithuania plans to deliver to Ukraine.

In addition, the Scandinavian country would donate tens of thousands of food rations.

All the equipment pledged is produced in Norway.

Norway has set up a 75-billion-kroner fund that has been earmarked for civilian and military aid to Ukraine over the period 2023 to 2027.

Originally the plan was to provide 15 billion kroner in aid a year.

But on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store justified increasing it to 17.5 billion this year, arguing that “it is now that is really necessary.”

Having become Europe’s main supplier of natural gas last year, the Scandinavian country has at the same time benefited greatly from the surge in oil and gas prices in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.

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