![]() ![]() In 1995 the company reclaimed the name and started to operate as KONGSBERG. ![]() The Norwegian state, which owned all the shares, decided to sell everything except the defence division which continued under the name Norsk Forsvarsteknologi. Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk was split into separate divisions with specific responsibilities within automotive parts, aircraft parts, gas turbines, oil installations, maritime equipment, drawing machines and defence materials.Īlthough the level of innovation was high, it was not profitable. The year 1987 was a turning point in the company’s history. The 1970s became the decade when Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk took positioning in both the maritime industry and the petroleum sector.ĭynamic positioning and subsea installations were revolutionary technologies, which gave KONGSBERG a technological edge that still prevails today. Companies that would later become part of KONGSBERG, such as Simrad and Norcontrol, had already provided echosounders and automation systems to the fishing and merchant fleet for several decades. The maritime part of KONGSBERG’s history started taking more space in the 1970s, during the same period as oil was discovered in the North Sea. The Norwegian authorities wanted a national industrial partner for the Armed Forces to realise the technology.įrom the 1950s to the present, this collaboration has resulted in a number of defence systems such as the Penguin missile, NASAMS air defence, the HUGIN underwater vessel and the Naval Strike Missile. The establishment of the Norwegian Armed Forces' research institute at Kjeller in 1947 was part of the same strategy. This was motivated by the desire to build a national, high-tech defence industry that could meet the Norwegian armed forces' needs and contribute technologically to NATO. The weapon factory was no longer under military command, and in 1953 the Norwegian Parliament initiated a large-scale modernisation of the company. INDUSTRIAL LEADERĪfter the end of the second world war, KONGSBERG was designated as a key company in the rebuilding and developing of Norwegian industries. The occupant, however, was unsatisfied with a factory unable to meet expectations due to poor access to raw materials and resistance among factory workers. Norwegian authorities ordered the production of air defence weapons, which came to use when Germany invaded Norway on April 9, 1940.ĭuring the second world war from 1940 to 1945, Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk was controlled by Germany. In the 1930s, the threat of war dominated Europe once again. The factory was granted a permit to produce civil weapons and tools, as well as components for the shipping industry and whaling fleet. Production at Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk was dominated by the Krag–Jørgensen until the end of the First World War in 1918 when the company started civilian production. Krag-Jørgensen was to dominate the production at Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk until the end of the first world war in 1918. Three years later, the Krag-Jørgensen became world-famous when the United States decided to equip its soldiers with the rifle. The rifle was bought by the Danish army in 1889. Increasing deliveries throughout the 19th century lead to the big international breakthrough in 1888, when director Ole Hermann Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen introduced the prototype of their new rifle. ![]() Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk (Weapons Factory) started producing rifles for the Norwegian Armed Forces. He wanted to create new jobs at a time when the city of Kongsberg was suffering from distress and poverty and Norway was still striving for independence. KONGSBERG was founded March 20th 1814 by Poul Steenstrup. We recently celebrated our 200-year anniversary, stronger than ever. Through our foresight and ability to adapt, KONGSBERG has survived through changing times and markets. ![]()
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