Four Nordic nations sign agreement for Nordic Combat Uniform procurement
In an important milestone for the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO), four Nordic nations have signed a joint framework agreement with the Norwegian supplier, Oskar Pedersen AS, for delivery of “The Nordic Combat Uniform System” (NCU).
The contract has a value of 425 MEUR over seven years, with deliveries beginning already in end of 2022.
The Nordic Combat Uniform is the first NORDEFCO procurement of its kind as it is the first time Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway join forces in a single procurement effort.
- Four nations signing this contract is a beneficiary and tremendous achievement for joint procurement of uniform systems and provides good solutions for the soldiers, says brigadier Øyvind Kvalvik head of Land Systems division in the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (NDMA).
- Although this is a joint procurement, each nation has signed individual contracts with the same contract terms, and the cooperation will continue during the contract period, says Finnish Major-general Kari Renko.
The Nordic nations requires a modern, functional and flexible combat uniform system in order to meet their military requirements in demanding Nordic climatic conditions. The system also includes configurations for jungle and arid desert conditions typical for international operations.
“The uniform system is a significant improvement for the soldiers in all four nations, and is designed to have an equal functionality and fit for both genders”, explains head of Logistics FMV, Jennifer Skjäl-Lundgren
One system, one design
The NCU clothing system includes uniform configurations from underwear to outer layers.
“The configurations are the same in all countries, but each nation will use its own national camouflage pattern on outer layers”, says Danish Major-General Christian Brejner Ishøj.
Also exempted are smaller items such as headgear, gloves, footwear or personal protective equipment. These are not part of the framework agreement, and will be procured by each nation independently.
Consortium
The NCU system has been developed as joint effort of a core group of partners known for their long-time commitment to innovation. Oskar Pedersen AS is the contractor and Layers AS the project manager. The manufacturing and technological partners of the system are: Siamidis SA – Lead technical solution, manufacturer of the combat, cold & wet weather layers, W.L Gore & Associates GmbH - Technology provider for the system, Aclima AS & Woolpower AB – Wool underwear.
“Working together with some of the best companies within the industry and engaging in various technological fields from wool underwear to lightweight rainwear was really challenging and equally rewarding for us. We learned a lot and are very much looking forward to the cooperation ahead”, says Carl Henrik Myhre, managing director in Layers. “We challenged ourselves to offer a European based technology-oriented system. This gave us a highly reliable value chain with focus on ethics, human rights, and environmental topics. The main manufacturer has their power source from their own renewable solar energy with a CO2 surplus equal to 3.6 million m2 of forest”, says Carl Henrik Myhre.
Facts:
The Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO) consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The overall purpose of NORDEFCO is to strengthen the participants’ national defense, explore common synergies and facilitate efficient common solutions.
For more information: Nordefco