On the night of Friday, August 22, several drones were seen above the technology park where the arms manufacturer Kongsberg Gruppen is based.
The alarm went off when the guards at the technology park, which houses, among other things, the arms manufacturer Kongsberg Gruppen, saw drones in the air above them on the night of Friday
The Kongsberg Group is one of the most important producers of weapons and ammunition for the Norwegian defense – and for Ukraine. The factory produces, among other things, anti-aircraft defenses that help protect the cities against Vladimir Putin’s rockets. It has been highlighted as a particularly interesting target for intelligence activities.
That’s why the alarm went off when guards discovered drones in the air on the night of Friday.
“We have security guards 24 hours a day, and it was our guards who observed drones over the technology park last night,”
says Ronny Lie, communications manager in the Kongsberg group to TV 2.
PST was Notified
Laagendalsposten reported on the case first. The local newspaper has published a video from a tipster, which will show the mysterious drones.
The drones were observed above Kongsberg Technology Park, where Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace is among the tenants.
The police responded by helicopter.The Kongsberg group states that they take the matter seriously.
We take this very seriously. We have both shell protection around the technology park, and strict procedures for everything related to security. The fact that drones arrive in the area is something we take very seriously,
says Lie.
Intelligence Targets
He states that the Kongsberg group is aware that they are a target for intelligence activities. In addition to producing for the Norwegian Armed Forces, they have several international customers.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the Kongsberg group has also become an important part of Europe’s arms production in support of Ukraine.
With the security situation in Europe and the fact that we produce air defense for Ukraine, we are becoming an interesting intelligence area. But we don’t know if this was intelligence activity or pranks,
says Lie.
No Drones Found
He adds that it is “not everyday” that drones are observed in the area.
We have used the opportunity to stress internally and to people in the area that you must report suspicious drone sightings, says Lie.
Operations manager Roger Aaser in the Sørøst police district tells Laagendalsposten that the police had two helicopters in the air after being notified about the case.
Neither drones nor drone operators were found, says Aaser to the local newspaper. TV 2 has not been able to get hold of the police about the case.
Suspicious
Tom Røseth, who is the main teacher of intelligence at the Norwegian Armed Forces College, thinks the drone observation sounds suspicious.
It could be pranks or intelligence. There is increased concern when it happens at night. Why would anyone fly drones there at night?
In today’s security situation, one should at least show vigilance. It appears that this situation was taken seriously and dealt with quickly. It is good and important in the situation we are in now, says Røseth to TV 2.
He points out that there have been acts of Russian sabotage against the European arms industry.
That Russia does this is well documented, and therefore all possible intelligence activities that may be part of a larger operation should be taken seriously,
says Røseth.
Natural Goal
The intelligence expert emphasizes that the Kongsberg Group is a natural target.
They cooperate closely with the Norwegian Armed Forces and international partners, and are an important target in a conflict that we are currently in with Russia. It is an important target for intelligence, and in a war situation it will also be a possible physical target,
says Røseth.
He believes foreign powers may have a clear motive for a drone flight over the Kongsberg Group.
– It can be real mapping to identify potential vulnerabilities, or it can be to stress, worry or bother.
Source: TV2