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KONGSBERG Acquires 90% of Zone 5 to Add Mass‑Produced Missiles to NATO Supply Chain

The Norwegian group says the deal will accelerate production and export of low‑cost, high‑volume strike and interceptor munitions to help close NATO munitions gaps.

Overview

  • KONGSBERG has completed the purchase of a 90 percent stake in California‑based Zone 5 Technologies and will run the company as an independent subsidiary with its current management retained.
  • Zone 5 makes low‑cost, mass‑producible weapons, including the Rusty Dagger strike missile and the White Spike air defence missile, and has won U.S. Air Force contracts under the AGM‑188 FAMM effort.
  • An export variant called ERAM has been supplied to Ukraine, giving Zone 5 real combat data and field validation that the company and KONGSBERG cite as proof of the weapons' operational performance.
  • KONGSBERG says it will use its global customer links and precision‑weapons sales network to scale Zone 5’s manufacturing and open NATO and allied export markets while keeping Zone 5’s leadership in place.
  • The deal reflects a wider shift in Western defence planning toward affordable, high‑rate munitions designed to meet the high attrition and volume demands of modern conflicts and could increase supply options for European and NATO forces.