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Kongsberg
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Kongsberg

Norwegian defence and maritime group; lead supplier in Europe's AUKUS Pillar II undersea-warfare bid.

Norway's Kongsberg leads Europe's counter-bid for AUKUS Pillar II underwater-vehicle contracts, and on 15 July 2026 the US Defense Innovation Unit selected it to design an extra-large uncrewed submarine, breaking the presumption that undersea autonomy contracts flow only to US suppliers.

Last refreshed: 24 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can Norway's HUGIN drones break into the AUKUS seabed programme US firms claimed on 30 May?

Timeline for Kongsberg

#7 17 Jul

Mentioned in: UK to buy three Norway motherships

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#7 16 Jul

Mentioned in: Exail wins a second secret navy order

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#7 15 Jul

Signed a Main Supplier agreement with Fugro and logged a HUGIN order via Kongsberg Listen

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: Kongsberg lands Fugro and DOF deals
#7 15 Jul

Kongsberg to design a US Navy drone sub

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
#7 6 Jul

Mentioned in: Thales buys Exail for EUR 3.9 billion

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea
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Background

Kongsberg, founded in 1814 and headquartered in the Norwegian town of the same name, is a defence and maritime technology group operating through two main divisions: Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, covering missiles and air-defence systems, and Kongsberg Discovery (formerly Kongsberg Maritime), which builds subsea sensors, autonomous underwater vehicles and ocean-data systems.

The HUGIN family of autonomous underwater vehicles has been qualified as a NATO mine-countermeasures payload on 14 separate allied programmes since 2003, spanning Norwegian, Swedish, German and Japanese naval customers, giving Kongsberg an integration record few newer entrants can match. Norway's defence-industrial relationship with the United States also gives HUGIN preferential access to ITAR-controlled components, a structural export advantage over most European competitors bidding into the same undersea-warfare procurement cycle.

Kongsberg's footprint extends beyond defence into offshore energy across the North Sea and Norwegian Continental Shelf, and its subsea sensing is positioned to serve NATO's standing Greenland-Iceland-UK gap surveillance requirement, which Task Force X-Arctic began addressing with an uncrewed research-vessel mission in June 2026.

Key Issues
AUKUS seabed bid

Kongsberg contests AUKUS seabed contracts

Kongsberg announced a strategic partnership with Italian submarine builder DRASS on 8 June 2026, pairing its HUGIN Superior autonomous underwater vehicle and HISAS 1032 sonar with DRASS's DG-900 submarine host and naming 2027 as its target entry into AUKUS Pillar II procurement, the first major non-US consortium to contest that hardware layer publicly.

The bid paid off beyond AUKUS itself: on 15 July 2026 the US Defense Innovation Unit picked Kongsberg Discovery, partnered with Oceaneering International, to design an extra-large uncrewed submarine under its Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform programme, a rare non-US design win inside the DIU's own process. The same fortnight it signed a Main Supplier deal with Fugro and took a HUGIN order from Norway's DOF, broadening its commercial book alongside the US win.

Common Questions
What is Kongsberg's HUGIN AUV and why is it in the AUKUS bid?
HUGIN is Kongsberg's family of long-range autonomous underwater vehicles. The HUGIN Superior variant, paired with the HISAS 1032 synthetic-aperture sonar, forms the core of a Norwegian-Italian bid for AUKUS Pillar II seabed-warfare procurement announced at ILA Berlin on 8 June 2026.Source: Tech Times / Kongsberg press release
Did Kongsberg win any AUKUS contract?
No. As of June 2026 the Kongsberg-DRASS partnership disclosed only intent to target AUKUS Pillar II procurement from 2027; no financial terms, customer commitment or signed agreement was announced.Source: Tech Times
How does Kongsberg's maritime division make money?
Kongsberg Discovery (formerly Kongsberg Maritime) generates revenue through autonomous underwater vehicles, subsea sensors, ocean-data systems and offshore energy technology. The division reported NOK 8.1bn in revenue for 2025, with autonomous systems growing at around 18% annually.Source: Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Annual Report 2025
Why does NATO trust Kongsberg's AUVs for seabed surveillance?
The HUGIN family has been qualified as a NATO mine-countermeasures payload on 14 separate allied programmes since 2003. Norway's defence-industrial relationship with the US also gives HUGIN preferential access to ITAR-controlled components, simplifying integration with allied systems.Source: NATO ACT Innovation Hub assessment
What subsea-infrastructure contract did Kongsberg win in July 2026?
Kongsberg Discovery won an undisclosed international contract on 3 July 2026 to protect offshore platforms, subsea cables, pipelines, ports and energy grids, using fused sonar, cameras and its C-Scope command software.Source: pipeline
What is the CAMP undersea vehicle Kongsberg is designing for the US Navy?
CAMP is the US Defense Innovation Unit's Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform programme for an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle. On 15 July 2026 the DIU selected Kongsberg Discovery, partnered with Oceaneering International, to design it, with concept and system work due in Q3 2026.Source: Lowdown
Did Kongsberg sign any new commercial deals in July 2026?
Yes. In the same fortnight as its US Navy CAMP selection, Kongsberg Discovery signed a Main Supplier agreement with survey group Fugro and logged a HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle order from Norwegian firm DOF through subsidiary Kongsberg Listen.Source: Lowdown