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FN Herstal will provide between 1,000 and 4,000 LWMGs to the Norwegian Army. (Photo: FN Herstal)
The Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) awarded an IDIQ contract to FN Herstal to provide the Norwegian Armed Forces with newly manufactured 7.62x51mm light machine guns.
The agreement was formally announced on October 26 on the official EU database, but the contract award was decided in June 2021.
FN Herstal will supply Norway with lightweight machine guns (LWMGs) plus spare parts, tools and other materials in a seven-year baseline framework agreement with options for an additional 20 years.
The contract calls for up to 1,000 machine guns with the possibility of an additional 3,000. Likewise, the value may range from NOK100 million to NOK700 million ($11.89 million to $83 million) over the life of the contract.
The machine guns will be used primarily by Norwegian infantry in various operational conditions. They will be enhanced by optical systems and accessories such as lasers, torches and night vision equipment.
The latest infantry fighting vehicle from Rosoboronexport draws on experience from the war in Ukraine, and is designed to be more lethal and more survivable than its predecessors.
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