US Companies Battle for Control of Norway’s Maritime Drone Market

MILAN — The race to supply Norway with Arctic-ready, long-range maritime drones is intensifying, with two U.S. companies now competing.

Under the Norwegian Defense Commitment for 2025-2036, Oslo plans to enhance its unmanned aerial capabilities by introducing new systems at Andøya Air Station, located about 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.

Earlier in the year, it came to light that the Norwegian Ministry of Defense had reached out to American firms including Northrop Grumman and General Atomics, seeking information on potential drone solutions.

A representative from General Atomics spoke to Defense News in March, confirming their submission of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian in response to Norway’s request. Meanwhile, representatives from Northrop Grumman have indicated their proposal of the MQ-4C Triton.

A defense official from Norway mentioned that the drone initiative is still in the conceptual phase.

“Currently, NDMA is collaborating with the Norwegian Air Force to conduct a concept selection study. As we are still in the process of defining requirements and assessing operational needs, no flight tests have been planned and no definitive decisions have been made,” said Brigadier General Jarle Nergård, head of the NDMA Air Systems Division.

The burgeoning market opportunity has naturally led to robust comparisons between the offerings from the American companies.

Jane Bishop, Vice President and General Manager of Global Surveillance at Northrop Grumman, criticized the MQ-9B on the company’s website on June 25, pointing out that it is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) system with roughly half the operational ceiling of the Triton.

Her article further highlighted the increased risk associated with the lower service ceiling, mentioning recent losses of multiple MALE aircraft over the past year.

She also noted that should Norway opt for the General Atomics drone, it would need about “four times as many units compared to the more capable high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircraft like the Triton.”

A spokesperson for General Atomics declined to comment on these assertions.

The durability of both American drones has been questioned previously. In her critique, Bishop referred to an April incident where three U.S. drones were downed by the Houthis in Yemen, which were Reaper UAVs, not the SeaGuardian variant.

Northrop’s systems have also faced challenges, such as in 2019 when an Iranian missile downed a U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS-D) drone, a forerunner to the MQ-4C Triton.

For Norway, it’s essential that the chosen drone works in conjunction with the nation’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to monitor the extensive open waters within its jurisdiction.

Norway has recently introduced five P-8As, which started arriving in 2022, gradually replacing the older P-3 Orion and DA-20 Jet Falcon aircraft.

According to the manufacturers, both the SeaGuardian and the Triton are capable of integrating with the P-8A Poseidon.

In previous collaborations, the U.S. worked with Australia to enhance the Triton’s interoperability with Australian P-8s, and in 2021, the SeaGuardian completed an unmanned-manned teaming exercise with the British Royal Air Force’s P-8 aircraft.

The exact financial commitment Norway is prepared to make for these long-range maritime drones has not yet been revealed.

The government recently announced a significant investment of approximately $620 million to support a maritime coalition, led by the United Kingdom, in developing and producing unmanned surface vessels in Ukraine, employing Kongsberg technology.