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Kongsberg Gruppen ASA

Type	Public
Founded	1814
Headquarters	Kongsberg, Norway
Area served	Global
Key people	Walter Qvam (CEO)
Industry	Military and maritime systems
Revenue	▲ NOK 11,056 million (2008)
Net income	▲ NOK 1,122 million (2008)
Employees	5,359 (June 2009)
Subsidiaries	Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Kongsberg Maritime
Website	http://www.kongsberg.com

Kongsberg Gruppen (OSE: KOG) (lit.: "The Kongsberg Group") is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in and named after former mining town Kongsberg.

KOG is divided into two operating companies, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) and Kongsberg Maritime (KM). KDA develops and produces defence and space systems, while KM makes advanced maritime electronic equipment for seagoing vessels from small fishing boats and cabin cruisers to large oil tankers.

[edit] History

The company was established in 1814 as Kongsberg Vaabenfabrik (KV) (lit.: "Kongsberg Weapons Factory"), a name which remained virtually unchanged until 1987, when it took the name Norsk Forsvarsteknologi (NFT) (lit.: "Norwegian Defence Technology") after restructuring due to the sale of all civilian activity and financial troubles. The name changed again in 1995 to the present Kongsberg Gruppen following its listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 1993. In 1974, a Canadian subsidiary known as Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd was established for the development and manufacturing of underwater surveillance systems.

In 1987, the company was part of the Toshiba-Kongsberg scandal, which involved a subsidiary of Toshiba and the Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk. The two provided the Soviet Union with American technology to produce quiet submarine propellers. The US always relied on the fact that the Soviets had noisy boats. Providing the USSR with technology that would make their subs harder to find and track was a significant threat to America's security.

[edit] See also

• CROWS
• Kongsberg Colt
• Krag-Jørgensen
• Kongsberg Spacetec
• List of oldest companies
• M1 Abrams TUSK Kit (M1 Abrams tank with Kongsberg Gruppen remote-control MG turret)

[edit] External links

• Corporate website
• Kongsberg Maritime
• Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace