The country has designated about NRK 6.7B (€580M) to support the maritime coalition it leads together with the UK. Some of these funds will go toward developing and producing unmanned naval vessels, utilizing the technology and expertise of the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The defense firm has already signed an agreement with a Ukrainian partner on the joint development and production of surface drones in Ukraine.
“Surface drones play an important role in helping Ukraine defend its territory and neutralize the Russian fleet in the Black Sea,” the Norwegian Ministry of Defense emphasized.
Additionally, Norway plans to increase its defense and security spending to 5% of GDP by the early 2030s, as outlined by NATO plans. The country intends to allocate 3.5% of GDP to traditional defense and an additional 1.5% to broader security efforts, including support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Last year, Norway spent about 2.2% of its GDP on defense, up from 1.4% in 2022. By 2025, aid to Ukraine is expected to reach 1.5% of Norway’s GDP.