The Norwegian Parliament has approved the allocation of $2 billion for the purchase of long-range artillery to strengthen defense in the Arctic regions. Despite the lack of an official announcement, government sources confirm that Oslo has opted for the South Korean K239 Chunmoo system, which won out over the well-known American M142 HIMARS systems. This is reported by UNN.
Details
The main factors in favor of the K239 Chunmoo were its ability to hit targets at a distance of up to 500 km and the ability of the manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace to ensure extremely short delivery times. Norwegian parliamentarians emphasize that this weapon is critically important for deterring potential Russian aggression in the common border area in the north. The allocated 19.5 billion kroner are planned to be used to purchase 16 launchers and a significant stock of missiles.
Norway also considered developing its own European analogue of the MLRS, but this path was deemed too long and expensive. Instead, South Korea offers not only ready-made equipment, but also potential localization of ammunition production, which is already successfully implemented in Poland. This will allow Norway to quickly increase its firepower in a strategically important region.
HIMARS' loss in the Scandinavian market
The American HIMARS, despite its effectiveness in the war in Ukraine, lost the tender due to overloaded production capacities in the United States and long waiting lists. For Norway, the time factor was decisive, as threats in the Arctic require immediate strengthening of the army. Thus, the K239 Chunmoo continues its offensive in the European arms market, demonstrating the advantage of the Korean military-industrial complex in terms of speed and flexibility of production.