Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Thales have reached an agreement to establish a joint venture (JV) focused on secure communication solutions.
The JV, equally owned by both companies, will merge Kongsberg’s tactical communications division with Thales’ Norwegian crypto and secure communications operations.
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It is intended to fulfil the evolving requirements of defence forces in Norway, Nato member states, and international customers.
The new company will have a workforce of approximately 350 professionals across Oslo, Trondheim, and Asker in Norway.
Thales secure communications & information systems executive vice president Christophe Salomon said: “Through this jointly owned company, we will be able to strengthen collaboration and leverage synergies between Kongsberg and Thales, creating a new key player in secure communications that supports bilateral cooperation between Norway and France. The new company will be particularly well-positioned to address markets where there are complementarities between Thales and Kongsberg’s portfolio and geographical footprint.”
In 2024, the two businesses had combined revenue of around Nkr1.5bn ($148.7m).
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By GlobalDataWith significant market opportunities and product synergies ahead, the joint venture projects revenues to reach Nkr3bn by the decade’s end.
In Norway, Thales supplies “high-grade” crypto networks and voice communication systems to Nato and other nations.
Kongsberg provides tactical radio systems for land operations including combat vehicles and soldiers as well as tactical networks for various systems like the NASAMS air defence.
The two companies joint stated that the JV “is a response to European armed forces’ call for greater interoperability, sovereignty, and the urgent need for large-scale equipment”.
The completion of this transaction is subject to standard regulatory clearances.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace president Eirik Lie said: “Together, we can develop and sustain a broader and stronger product portfolio and domain expertise to create a solid partner for the Norwegian customer, while also gaining access to better market channels internationally, particularly with the support of Thales’ global distribution network.”
In 2022, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace signed a memorandum of agreement with Thales UK to collaborate on the Protector Remote Weapon Systems programme.
