Partnership Signs MoA for Protector RWS Program 

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Thales UK to collaborate on PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) Programs.

Through this joint initiative, the companies will work together to promote the PROTECTOR RWS to a greater number of areas of military capability, both in the UK and in foreign markets.

“PROTECTOR Programs, projects and capability areas Kongsberg and Thales UK aspire to collaborate in have steadily grown since we signed the last agreement in 2017,” said Eirik Tord Jensen, Executive Vice President Land Systems, Kongsberg. “Both companies have expressed a high level of ambition to expand our relationship over the coming 5 years.”

Since the first Teaming Agreement was signed between the two companies in 2007, Kongsberg and Thales UK have worked together to promote the PROTECTOR RWS in the UK and to deliver the world’s most advanced RWS to its Ministry of Defence.

According to Kongsberg, the PROTECTOR RWS has been in regular use in a variety of operational theaters and on a variety of military Land Platforms since the late 1990s. Over 1000 systems have currently been contracted for Service within the UK Armed Forces.

“I am delighted to be re-signing this memorandum of agreement that consolidates our existing partnership over 20 years,” said Stephen McCann, Managing Director of OME within Thales UK. “A partnership that has secured a major role within the UK Army’s Boxer Strategic Pipeline and has grown from strength to strength. I look forward to extending the reach and scope of a partnership in the UK and throughout Europe and supporting Kongsberg in the United States of America.”

The PROTECTOR RWS was originally competitively selected by the UK Ministry of Defence based on the systems’ high sensor performance, firing accuracy and system modularity/flexibility.