The multiple launch rocket system Chunmoo fires toward the sea off Goseong, Gangwon Province, northeastern South Korea, as the Army’s 3rd Artillery Brigade conducts a two-day nighttime live-fire drill from April 16, 2025, in this undated file photo released by the Army. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) –Hanwha Aerospace Co., widely viewed as a leading contender for a major Norwegian long-range rocket procurement project, could end up securing the deal in the very near future following a vote by the Norwegian parliament on the multibillion-dollar project early next week, industry watchers said Friday.
An authorization bill for the procurement project will be put to a plenary vote in the country’s parliament Tuesday (local time), according to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA).
“Once a procurement has been confirmed by parliament, the Ministry of Defence must formally issue a tasking to proceed with the project via the Armed Forces Staff, after which we can begin formalizing the contract,” Endre Lunde, a special adviser at the NDMA, told Yonhap News Agency via email.
Without disclosing bidding vendors, Lunde said the time needed from parliamentary approval to contract signature “has typically been a matter of days, not weeks.”
The Oslo government can formally task the agency to proceed with a contract only after the proposed bill is passed.
“Assuming this (parliamentary approval) goes as planned, we should be able to do so (formalize a contract) within a few days of parliament giving its approval,” Lunde said, suggesting the possibility of an early-February time window for contract signing.
This photo provided by Hanwha Aerospace Co. shows guided missiles for its Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) being displayed at the company’s booth for the Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX) 2025 scheduled to kick off in Cairo on Dec. 1, 2025. (Yonhap)
Hanwha Aerospace, with its K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system, has been frequently cited by various Norwegian news outlets and industry watchers there as a leading contender in Norway’s US$1.9 billion project to expand its long-range rocket capability.
Hanwha Aerospace is reportedly competing against Lockheed Martin of the United States.
A Hanwha Aerospace official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing bid, acknowledged the scheduled parliamentary vote and said that while nothing has been confirmed, the company understands its proposal has been received positively at the working level in Norway.
The South Korean defense giant signed its third contract with the NDMA in September for 24 additional K9 Vidar self-propelled howitzers, apparently reflecting the Norwegian armed forces’ confidence in the company’s proven performance and reliability.
Despite such positive industry outlooks, Hanwha is not letting its vigilance down, especially in light of South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem Co. losing to Germany’s KMW in Norway’s tank procurement project in 2023, according to industry watchers.
“We are hoping for the best, but given past cases, we will have to wait and see,” the Hanwha official said.
Both Lunde and the company official also noted Norway’s requirements for industrial cooperation, such as technology transfers and related partnership arrangements, tied to a possible contract.
Another sticking point is an ongoing debate within the Norwegian parliament.
According to local media reports, the ruling coalition in the parliament remains in support of the government recommendation, while opposition parties have asked for the government to consider purchasing a European solution, citing equipment interoperability with regional partners and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
(Yonhap)
