Two days ago, NAMMO CEO Edgar Fossheim kicked off the 13th and latest edition of the company's Multipurpose Symposium. The three day event derives its name from the Multipurpose Concept that was initiated by the company in 1970. Enabling penetration, delayed action, fragmentation (HE), blast and incendiary effects, NAMMO's Multipurpose family comprises ammunition ranging from 12.7mm to 40mm with the last caliber to enter being the 30mm x 173 MP-T/SD (Multipurpose - Tracer/ Self Destruct) round. The MP concept uses a pyrotechnical ignition train instead of the traditional mechanical safe & arm device found on medium caliber ammunition, hereby enabling a deflagration instead of a detonation. As a result, larger fragments are created.
Established in 1998, NAMMO is jointly owned by the Finnish company Patria and the Norwegian ministry of trade, industry and fisheries with each having a 50 percent stake in the ammunition company.
"Securing the future" is the motto of this Nordic company which states its mission is to "protect national and allied forces with high quality defence products". This was underlined by Fossheim in his opening speech when he made clear that this means the armed forces of the free world. The company's position correlates with the policy of the Norwegian government with regard to the export of defence equipment as the country has strict export rules. Issues such as democratic rights and fundamental human rights are considered during the export process and in general it can be said that the Norwegian government is very reluctant when it comes to possible exports of weapons and ammunition or dual use technology to countries which are not member states of NATO or like minded countries.
Employing some 2,200 employees in twenty-two production units in nine countries (US, Canada, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Australia), NAMMO gets 77 percent of its turnover from countries outside the Nordic region. Operating income in 2013 amounted to NOK 3,703 million which is up almost twelve percent when compared to the results of 2012. Production of defence materiel accounts for eighty-five percent of the company's revenues. Core businesses include shoulder launched munitions (M72 family, BDM M141 and SMAW ammunition) and ammunition, with the company's strength lying in medium caliber rounds although being "not so strong in 35mm" according to Fossheim. With countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands having opted for 35mm automatic guns on their CV90 IFVs in recent years, it appears that might warrant the development of more advanced 35mm rounds though. For instance, the Dutch military is currently looking into enhanced ammunition for its CV9035NLs to better enable operations in urban terrain and also in order to replicate some of the weapon effects of a 120mm gun. This is due to their Leopard 2A6 MBTs having been withdrawn from service due to austerity measures. NAMMO's small caliber ammunition (4.6mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .308, .338 Lapua, 9mm) has meanwhile proved to be popular at home and in countries such as the US with the company being one of the main suppliers of tracer rounds to the US Army. In addition, larger caliber ammunition (120mm, 155mm) is also being offered by NAMMO.
Speaking about the company's third core business, Fossheim indicated : "there are synergies between producing ammunition and producing rocket motors" and today NAMMO is a major producer of motors for missiles including Raytheon's AMRAAM and ESSM. Demilitarization meanwhile is a growth industry with NAMMO being specialized in destroying excess, outdated and obsolete conventional ammunition including cluster bombs. NAMMO's CEO explained: " the mount of obsolete ammo in the US is growing despite operations which are ongoing". He boasted that NAMMO "is the biggest industrial demilitarizer" while mentioning that his company is involved in demilitarization programmes for the US, UK, German and Japanese governments. The Nordic company has plants in Germany, Norway and Sweden for the purpose of destroying obsolete, aged or surplus ammunition although countries such as Finland and Norway itself still use open pit burnings according to Fossheim.
More detailed information on some of NAMMO's most recent defence product innovations will soon appear in the pages of MT.
Established in 1998, NAMMO is jointly owned by the Finnish company Patria and the Norwegian ministry of trade, industry and fisheries with each having a 50 percent stake in the ammunition company.
"Securing the future" is the motto of this Nordic company which states its mission is to "protect national and allied forces with high quality defence products". This was underlined by Fossheim in his opening speech when he made clear that this means the armed forces of the free world. The company's position correlates with the policy of the Norwegian government with regard to the export of defence equipment as the country has strict export rules. Issues such as democratic rights and fundamental human rights are considered during the export process and in general it can be said that the Norwegian government is very reluctant when it comes to possible exports of weapons and ammunition or dual use technology to countries which are not member states of NATO or like minded countries.
Employing some 2,200 employees in twenty-two production units in nine countries (US, Canada, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Australia), NAMMO gets 77 percent of its turnover from countries outside the Nordic region. Operating income in 2013 amounted to NOK 3,703 million which is up almost twelve percent when compared to the results of 2012. Production of defence materiel accounts for eighty-five percent of the company's revenues. Core businesses include shoulder launched munitions (M72 family, BDM M141 and SMAW ammunition) and ammunition, with the company's strength lying in medium caliber rounds although being "not so strong in 35mm" according to Fossheim. With countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands having opted for 35mm automatic guns on their CV90 IFVs in recent years, it appears that might warrant the development of more advanced 35mm rounds though. For instance, the Dutch military is currently looking into enhanced ammunition for its CV9035NLs to better enable operations in urban terrain and also in order to replicate some of the weapon effects of a 120mm gun. This is due to their Leopard 2A6 MBTs having been withdrawn from service due to austerity measures. NAMMO's small caliber ammunition (4.6mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .308, .338 Lapua, 9mm) has meanwhile proved to be popular at home and in countries such as the US with the company being one of the main suppliers of tracer rounds to the US Army. In addition, larger caliber ammunition (120mm, 155mm) is also being offered by NAMMO.
Speaking about the company's third core business, Fossheim indicated : "there are synergies between producing ammunition and producing rocket motors" and today NAMMO is a major producer of motors for missiles including Raytheon's AMRAAM and ESSM. Demilitarization meanwhile is a growth industry with NAMMO being specialized in destroying excess, outdated and obsolete conventional ammunition including cluster bombs. NAMMO's CEO explained: " the mount of obsolete ammo in the US is growing despite operations which are ongoing". He boasted that NAMMO "is the biggest industrial demilitarizer" while mentioning that his company is involved in demilitarization programmes for the US, UK, German and Japanese governments. The Nordic company has plants in Germany, Norway and Sweden for the purpose of destroying obsolete, aged or surplus ammunition although countries such as Finland and Norway itself still use open pit burnings according to Fossheim.
More detailed information on some of NAMMO's most recent defence product innovations will soon appear in the pages of MT.
Pieter Bastiaans