Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Stock price
Compare with Peer Group
📊 Peer Group
📈 What is it?
The peer group consists of the companies with the most similar business model. They serve as a benchmark for putting a stock into context.
🧮 How is it selected?
Based on similarity of business model, meaning companies from the same industry with comparable products and a similar customer base. That's the only way to compare apples to apples.
🏛️ Why does it matter?
Whether a stock is cheap or expensive is best judged by comparison. A P/E of 18 or an EV/FCF of 20 can look cheap or expensive depending on the yardstick. The peer group gives you the most accurate one: companies with a similar business model that operate under the same conditions.
🎯 What does it mean for investors?
When a metric sits below the peer average, the stock is valued more cheaply relative to its competitors, and above the average more expensively. A discount to the peer group can be an opportunity, but it can also have a reason (for example lower growth). The comparison is a starting point, not a verdict.
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Key metrics
📘 Market Capitalization
📈 What is it?
Market capitalization shows how much a company is currently worth on the stock market.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It helps classify companies by size (Large, Mid, Small Cap) and indicates their market presence and relative stability.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Large-cap companies tend to be more stable, often pay dividends, but may grow more slowly.
- Smaller firms may offer higher growth potential but come with more volatility.
- Market capitalization is a useful indicator of company size — but not a measure of whether a stock is undervalued or overvalued.
📘 Enterprise Value (EV)
📈 What is it?
Enterprise Value represents the total cost to acquire a company — including its debt and excluding its cash reserves.
🧮 How is it calculated?
(= Market Cap + Net Debt)
🏛️ Why is it important?
EV gives a more complete picture of a company's value than market cap alone and is used in key valuation ratios like EV/FCF or EV/Sales.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Enterprise Value shows the true cost of buying a company, including all financial obligations.
- It is more accurate than just looking at market cap, especially when comparing companies with different levels of debt or cash.
- Professional investors prefer EV-based multiples because they better reflect the company’s full financial footprint.
📘 Net Debt
📈 What is it?
Net Debt shows how much debt remains after subtracting a company’s available cash reserves.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It indicates how dependent a company is on borrowed money and how easily it can service its debt in the short term.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Low or negative net debt signals financial strength and flexibility.
- Companies with strong cash positions are better positioned in crises.
- High net debt increases financial risk — especially in environments with rising interest rates or economic downturns.
📘 Cash
📈 What is it?
Cash represents all liquid assets a company can access immediately — including cash, bank deposits, and short-term investments.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It reflects a company’s financial flexibility and resilience — enabling investments, buybacks, or buffer in downturns.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A strong cash position means greater room for maneuver and crisis resistance.
- Cash-rich companies can invest, pay down debt, or repurchase shares.
- But excess idle cash might indicate a lack of growth opportunities.
📘 Shares Outstanding
📈 What is it?
Shares outstanding represent the total number of a company’s shares currently held by investors — excluding treasury stock.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It’s the basis for key metrics like Earnings Per Share (EPS), Market Capitalization, or the Price/Earnings ratio (P/E).
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Fewer shares in circulation typically increase earnings per share — making each share more valuable.
- Share buybacks reduce the number of shares and boost per-share metrics.
- Issuing new shares does the opposite — diluting shareholder value and lowering per-share figures.
📘 Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E)
📈 What is it?
The P/E ratio shows how many times a company's earnings per share are reflected in its current share price — in other words, how "expensive" the stock appears relative to its profits.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
The P/E ratio is one of the most widely used valuation metrics. It helps investors assess whether a stock appears cheap or expensive compared to its earnings power.
🧮 Calculation
📊 P/E (TTM) = Based on earnings from the last 12 months (Trailing Twelve Months):🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A low P/E may indicate undervaluation — or signal underlying issues.
- A high P/E may reflect strong growth expectations — or an overvalued stock.
📘 Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S)
📈 What is it?
The P/S ratio shows how much investors are paying for $1 of the company’s revenue – regardless of profitability.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
P/S is especially useful for evaluating growth companies or businesses not yet profitable. It reflects how the market values the company’s sales.
🧮 Calculation
Market Cap = kr290.44b | Revenue (TTM) = kr41.72b
Market Cap = kr290.44b | Estimated Revenue = kr43.13b
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A low P/S may indicate undervaluation — or low profitability.
- A high P/S can reflect strong growth expectations — or excessive optimism.
- Especially helpful when evaluating companies where profits are low, volatile, or negative.
📘 Enterprise Value to Sales (EV/Sales)
📈 What is it?
EV/Sales shows how much investors are paying for $1 of revenue — considering not just equity, but also debt and cash. It’s the capital structure–adjusted version of the P/S ratio.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It’s ideal for comparing companies with different levels of debt. It reflects a company's true cost relative to its revenue.
🧮 Calculation
Enterprise Value = kr288.74b | Revenue (TTM) = kr41.72b
Enterprise Value = kr288.74b | Forward Revenue = kr43.13b
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- EV/Sales allows for capital structure–neutral company comparisons.
- A lower ratio may indicate undervaluation; a higher one may signal strong growth expectations or overvaluation.
- Especially helpful when evaluating high-growth companies with low or negative earnings.
📘 Enterprise Value to Free Cash Flow (EV/FCF)
📈 What is it?
EV/FCF shows how many years it would take for a company to "pay back" its enterprise value using its free cash flow.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It focuses on real cash generation, ignoring accounting noise — ideal for assessing profitability and value based on liquidity, not earnings.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A low EV/FCF may signal undervaluation and strong cash generation.
- A high EV/FCF might reflect weak recent cash flow or aggressive growth expectations.
- Best suited for stable, mature businesses with predictable free cash flows.
📘 Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B)
📈 What is it?
The P/B ratio compares a company’s market value to its book value — showing how much investors are paying for each dollar of net assets.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
P/B is commonly used for asset-heavy industries like banks or industrials. It helps assess whether a stock is trading above or below its net asset value.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A P/B below 1 may signal undervaluation — or weak profitability.
- A P/B above 1 implies the market expects future value creation (e.g., brand, IP, growth).
- Best used for companies with tangible assets and strong balance sheets.
📘 Dividend per Share (DPS)
📈 What is it?
Dividend per Share shows how much cash a company pays out to shareholders for each share they own – usually on an annual or quarterly basis.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
DPS is the absolute value of the payout per share – crucial for income-focused investors and dividend strategies.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A stable or growing DPS often signals a strong, shareholder-friendly business.
- DPS alone doesn’t tell you how attractive the payout is – the stock price also matters (→ see Dividend Yield).
- Long-term dividend growth is often a hallmark of high-quality companies – like the dividend aristocrats.
📘 Dividend Yield
📈 What is it?
Dividend yield shows how large a company’s dividend is in relation to its current share price.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It allows investors to compare dividend payouts across stocks, regardless of price or payout size.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A stable yield can reflect reliable distributions.
- Comparing 1Y and 5Y yield shows whether dividend growth keeps pace with stock price appreciation.
- A low yield isn’t always negative – it can signal strong past performance or growth focus.
📘 Dividend Growth
📈 What is it?
Dividend growth shows how much a company has increased its dividend per share over time.
🧮 How is it calculated?
5Y: Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
🏛️ Why is it important?
Consistently rising dividends are often a sign of financial strength and shareholder orientation – especially relevant for long-term investors.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Stable dividend growth is a sign of sustainable earning power.
- High dividend growth can significantly boost your total return:
- If a company pays $1 in dividends and increases it by 15% annually over 5 years, you’ll receive $2 per share in year 5 – twice as much as at the start!
📘 Payout Ratio
📈 What is it?
The payout ratio shows what percentage of a company’s earnings (per share) is distributed to shareholders as dividends.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It helps assess whether the dividend is sustainable – especially in relation to the company’s profitability.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A low payout ratio means the company retains more earnings for reinvestment – typical for growth companies.
- A moderate payout (e.g. 25–50%) indicates a healthy balance between returns and reinvestment.
- High payout ratios may seem attractive but can carry risk if earnings decline.
📘 Consecutive Dividend Increases
📈 What is it?
This metric shows how many consecutive years a company has raised its dividend per share – without any cuts or pauses.
🧮 How is it calculated?
(Special dividends are not considered.)
🏛️ Why is it important?
A long track record of increases reflects financial strength, consistency, and shareholder commitment.
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A long dividend increase streak builds confidence – especially in volatile markets.
- Such companies are seen as reliable and income-friendly investments.
- The longer the streak, the stronger the company’s dividend discipline.
📘 Revenue
📈 What is it?
Revenue shows how much a company earns in total from selling its products and services – the gross income before any costs are deducted.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
Revenue is one of the key figures to assess a company’s size, market position, and growth potential.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Growing revenue indicates rising demand and can be an early signal of future earnings growth.
- Comparing actual and expected revenue reveals trends in the market environment and analyst sentiment.
- Note: Strong revenue alone isn’t enough – margins and profitability matter just as much.
📘 EBITDA
📈 What is it?
EBITDA stands for “Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization.” It reflects a company’s operating profit before the effects of financing, taxes, and accounting depreciation.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
EBITDA is widely used to evaluate a company’s operating performance – especially across capital-intensive sectors or international comparisons.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high or growing EBITDA indicates strong operational profitability – independent of taxes, interest, or accounting methods.
- It’s especially useful for comparing companies across sectors or geographies.
- Important: EBITDA is not a net income figure – it excludes key costs like depreciation and interest.
📘 EBIT
📈 What is it?
EBIT stands for “Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.” It reflects a company’s operating profit after depreciation, but before interest and tax expenses.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
EBIT is a core profitability metric that shows how well the company performs in its main business operations – independent of capital structure and tax environment.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high EBIT indicates strong profitability from the company’s core business – before financial and tax effects.
- It allows better comparison between companies with different debt levels or tax structures.
- Compared to EBITDA, EBIT already accounts for depreciation and reflects capital intensity more clearly.
📘 Net Income
📈 What is it?
Net income is the company’s total profit – the amount left after all expenses, taxes, interest, and depreciation have been deducted.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
Net income is the most comprehensive measure of a company’s profitability – showing how much actual profit remains after all business and financing costs.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Growing net income indicates that the company is managing all of its costs efficiently.
- It directly influences valuation metrics like P/E ratio and the company’s dividend capacity.
- Over time, net income trends reveal how resilient and profitable the business model really is.
📘 Free Cash Flow (FCF)
📈 What is it?
Free Cash Flow shows how much actual cash remains after a company covers its operating expenses and capital expenditures.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
FCF reflects a company’s real financial strength – regardless of accounting profits. It shows how much flexibility a company has for dividends, share buybacks, or debt reduction.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- High free cash flow means the company generates real, usable cash – independent of reported net income.
- It’s often the most reliable base for sustainable dividends and buybacks.
- Declining FCF can be an early warning sign – even when profits appear stable.
📘 Revenue Growth
📈 What is it?
Revenue growth shows how much a company’s sales have changed compared to the previous year – both on a trailing basis (TTM) and based on forward projections.
🧮 How is it calculated?
Forward = (Expected revenue ÷ Revenue in prior year − 1) × 100
Forward growth is based on analyst estimates for the current fiscal year.
🏛️ Why is it important?
Rising revenue signals growing demand, business expansion, and market share gains – especially important for growth-oriented companies.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Growth is the engine of long-term value creation – especially in tech and growth sectors.
- What matters is not just current growth, but its sustainability.
- Forward projections reflect whether analysts expect continued momentum – or a slowdown.
📘 EBITDA Growth
📈 What is it?
EBITDA growth shows how much a company’s operating profit (before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) has increased or decreased compared to the previous year.
🧮 How is it calculated?
Forward = (Expected EBITDA ÷ EBITDA from prior year − 1) × 100
The forward estimate is based on analyst projections for the current fiscal year.
🏛️ Why is it important?
Growing EBITDA indicates improving operational profitability – regardless of financing or accounting effects.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Strong EBITDA growth signals operational efficiency and scalability – especially during growth phases.
- EBITDA growth can be an early indicator of margin and earnings expansion – but should be assessed alongside revenue and EBIT.
📘 EBIT Growth
📈 What is it?
EBIT growth shows how much a company’s operating profit (after depreciation, but before interest and taxes) has increased compared to the previous year.
🧮 How is it calculated?
Forward = (Expected EBIT ÷ EBIT from prior year − 1) × 100
The forward estimate is based on analyst projections for the current fiscal year.
🏛️ Why is it important?
EBIT growth is a direct indicator of a company’s business performance – taking into account capital intensity through depreciation.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Rising EBIT signals improving operating profitability – even after accounting for depreciation.
- It’s especially important for evaluating companies with significant capital expenditures.
- Combined with revenue and EBITDA growth, EBIT growth provides a well-rounded view of operational progress.
📘 Net Income Growth
📈 What is it?
Net income growth shows how much a company’s bottom-line profit has increased or decreased compared to the previous year – both on a trailing basis (TTM) and based on analyst projections.
🧮 How is it calculated?
Forward = (Expected net income ÷ Net income from prior year − 1) × 100
The forward estimate reflects analysts’ expectations for the current fiscal year.
🏛️ Why is it important?
Net income is the ultimate measure of profitability. Growing net income signals stronger efficiency, cost control, and sustainable earnings power.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Stronger net income boosts valuation, dividend potential, and investor confidence.
- If profits stall while revenue grows, it may signal margin pressure.
📘 Free Cash Flow Growth
📈 What is it?
Free cash flow (FCF) growth shows how a company’s available cash – after covering operating expenses and capital expenditures – has changed compared to the previous year.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
Free cash flow reflects real financial strength. Growing FCF indicates more flexibility for dividends, share buybacks, and reinvestment.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Declining FCF may point to rising investments, increasing costs, or weaker operating performance.
- Especially for dividend investors, FCF growth is critical – since dividends are paid from actual available cash.
- A negative trend isn't always bad, but it deserves closer attention.
📘 Gross Margin
📈 What is it?
Gross margin shows how much of a company’s revenue remains after deducting the direct costs of goods sold (like materials and production). It represents the company’s “raw profit” before fixed costs, taxes, and interest.
🧮 How is it calculated?
Or simply: Gross Margin = Gross Profit ÷ Revenue × 100
🏛️ Why is it important?
Gross margin indicates how efficiently a company can produce or procure what it sells. It is a key measure of product-level profitability and pricing power.
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high gross margin suggests strong pricing power and efficient production.
- Falling margins may signal rising input costs or competitive pressure.
- Compared to peers, gross margin offers insights into the quality of a business model.
📘 EBITDA Margin
📈 What is it?
The EBITDA margin shows how much of a company’s revenue remains as operating profit before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.It reflects operating efficiency without being distorted by financing or accounting factors.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
The EBITDA margin reveals how much operating income a company generates per dollar of revenue – independent of capital structure and tax effects.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high EBITDA margin reflects strong core profitability – before accounting distortions.
- It allows for effective comparisons across companies and sectors.
- A stable or growing margin signals efficient cost control and business scalability.
📘 EBIT Margin
📈 What is it?
The EBIT margin shows what percentage of revenue remains as operating profit after depreciation but before interest and taxes.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
The EBIT margin reflects a company’s core profitability while accounting for capital intensity (e.g. machinery, infrastructure). It’s especially useful for comparing businesses with different levels of depreciation.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high EBIT margin shows that the company remains efficient even after factoring in depreciation.
- It’s especially relevant for capital-intensive industries.
- Stable or rising EBIT margins over time are a strong indicator of pricing power and business quality.
📘 Net margin
📈 What is it?
Net margin shows how much of a company’s revenue remains as bottom-line profit after deducting all costs, interest, taxes, and depreciation.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
Net margin reflects a company’s overall efficiency – across operations, financing, and taxation. It shows how much actual profit is generated from each dollar of revenue.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high net margin means the company is not only strong operationally but also manages financing and taxes efficiently.
- Peer comparisons reveal business quality and competitiveness.
- Declining margins despite revenue growth can be a red flag for rising costs or inefficiencies.
📘 Free cash flow margin
📈 What is it?
The free cash flow (FCF) margin shows how much of a company’s revenue remains as actual free cash after covering all operating expenses and capital expenditures.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
This margin reflects the true liquidity generated by the business – independent of accounting rules or depreciation. It’s especially relevant for dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment decisions.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high FCF margin means a company consistently generates strong cash flow.
- It’s a positive signal for financial stability and shareholder returns.
- The long-term trend is key – a declining margin may indicate rising investments or weakening operating efficiency.
📘 Equity Ratio
📈 What is it?
The equity ratio indicates what portion of a company’s total assets is financed by shareholders’ equity – in other words, how much it relies on its own capital.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
A high equity ratio reflects financial strength and stability, especially during downturns. It’s a key indicator of a company’s solvency and long-term risk profile.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Companies with high equity ratios are generally more resilient and less dependent on external debt.
- Low equity ratios can signal higher risk or aggressive financial strategies.
- Important: Always assess the equity ratio in combination with the return on equity (ROE). This shows not just how stable the company is – but also how efficiently it uses shareholder capital.
📘 Return on Equity (ROE)
📈 What is it?
Return on equity (ROE) shows how efficiently a company uses its shareholders’ equity to generate profit. In other words: how much net income is earned per dollar of equity.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
ROE is a core profitability metric. It helps investors understand whether a company delivers attractive returns on the capital provided by its shareholders.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high ROE indicates that the company is using its capital efficiently and profitably.
- It’s especially meaningful for capital-intensive businesses or firms with high equity bases.
- Important: A very high ROE can also result from high debt levels – always interpret it alongside the equity ratio to assess financial health.
📘 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)
📈 What is it?
ROCE measures how efficiently a company generates profits from its total capital – including both equity and interest-bearing debt.
🧮 How is it calculated?
It evaluates the return on all capital employed, regardless of how it’s financed.
🏛️ Why is it important?
ROCE is ideal for comparing companies with different financing structures. It shows how well management uses capital to create value for both shareholders and creditors.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high ROCE means the company uses its capital efficiently – regardless of whether it's funded by debt or equity.
- The higher the ROCE compared to peers, the more value the company creates with its invested capital.
- Especially relevant for capital-intensive sectors like industrials, energy, or infrastructure.
📘 Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)
📈 What is it?
ROIC measures how efficiently a company generates returns from the capital invested in its core operations – regardless of whether the capital comes from equity or debt.
🧮 How is it calculated?
- NOPAT = Net Operating Profit After Taxes
- Invested Capital = Operating assets minus non-interest-bearing liabilities
🏛️ Why is it important?
ROIC is one of the most accurate indicators of capital efficiency. Unlike return on equity, it is not distorted by leverage and shows how much value is created for all capital providers.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high ROIC shows how effectively a company uses the capital that is truly invested in its core operations.
- Unlike ROCE, ROIC focuses only on the capital that is actively used to run the business – and that requires a return (i.e. interest-bearing).
- Especially useful when comparing companies with large amounts of excess cash or non-interest-bearing liabilities – giving a more realistic picture of capital efficiency.
📘 Leverage Ratio (Debt-to-Equity)
📈 What is it?
The leverage ratio indicates how much a company relies on interest-bearing debt (such as loans and bonds) relative to its shareholders’ equity.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
This ratio helps assess a company’s financial structure and risk profile. High leverage can enhance returns – but also increases exposure to interest rate changes and financial stress.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A low leverage ratio signals financial strength and independence.
- A higher ratio can improve returns in good times but increases risk during downturns or rising interest rate periods.
- 👉 Always interpret in the context of industry, capital intensity, and interest rate environment.
📘 Earnings per share (EPS)
📈 What is it?
Earnings per Share (EPS) shows how much profit is attributable to a single share – and is one of the most important metrics for evaluating a company's performance.
🧮 How is it calculated?
The diluted share count reflects potential new shares that could be issued through options, convertible bonds, or other rights.
🏛️ Why is it important?
EPS is the basis for many key valuation metrics like P/E ratio, PEG ratio, or payout ratio. It enables comparisons of profitability across companies, regardless of their size.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- EPS captures per-share profitability and is especially useful for comparisons over time or with analyst estimates.
- Rising EPS may signal consistent growth or share buybacks.
- Important: Always use diluted EPS for more realistic valuations – especially in companies with stock-based compensation.
📘 Free cash flow per share (FCF per share)
📈 What is it?
Free Cash Flow per Share shows how much free cash flow a company generates per outstanding share – after investments, but before dividends or debt repayments.
🧮 How is it calculated?
Free cash flow is calculated as operating cash flow minus capital expenditures (CapEx).
🏛️ Why is it important?
FCF per Share reveals how much real cash is available per share – useful for dividends, buybacks, or reducing debt. Unlike net income, free cash flow is harder to manipulate and often seen as a more reliable metric.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- High FCF per share signals strong financial flexibility.
- It shows how much capital the company can effectively reinvest or return to shareholders.
- Particularly relevant for dividend payers and capital-efficient businesses.
📘 Short interest
📈 What is it?
Short interest indicates how many shares of a company are currently sold short – that is, borrowed and sold by investors who expect the price to decline.
🧮 How is it calculated?
It reflects the percentage of a company’s shares that are being shorted relative to the total shares available.
🏛️ Why is it important?
Short interest serves as a sentiment indicator: A high value may signal skepticism or bearish expectations – but also increases the potential for a short squeeze if prices rise unexpectedly.
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- Low short interest usually indicates market confidence in the company.
- High short interest can be a warning sign – or an opportunity if sentiment shifts.
- Especially relevant in volatile markets or ahead of key earnings releases.
📘 Employees
📈 What is it?
The employee count shows how many people a company employs worldwide – offering insights into its size, structure, and business model.
🧮 How is it calculated?
🏛️ Why is it important?
It helps assess operational scale, labor intensity, and cost structure. Combined with revenue and profit, it enables key metrics like revenue per employee or productivity.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high headcount can signal operational complexity – but also significant growth capacity.
- Revenue per employee is a key indicator of efficiency.
- Especially useful for comparing tech, industrial, or service-heavy companies.
📘 Turnover per employee
📈 What is it?
Revenue per employee indicates how much revenue a company generates on average per employee – a key measure of efficiency and productivity.
🧮 How is it calculated?
The employee count is typically taken from the most recent annual report.
🏛️ Why is it important?
This metric helps compare business models – especially between labor-intensive and technology-driven companies. A high value suggests automation, operational efficiency, or strong value creation per head.
🧮 Calculation
🎯 What does this mean for investors?
- A high revenue per employee indicates a scalable and margin-strong business model.
- A low figure may reflect labor-intensive operations or lower value-add.
- Especially helpful when comparing tech companies to industrial or service sectors.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Stock Analysis
Analyst Opinions
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Analyst Opinions
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Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Events
Past Events
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JUL
13
Q2 2026 Earnings Call
2 months ago
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JUN
10
Analyst/Investor Day - Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
4 months ago
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MAY
6
Q1 2026 Earnings Call
5 months ago
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FEB
6
Q4 2025 Earnings Call
8 months ago
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FEB
6
Q4 2025 Earnings Call
8 months ago
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OCT
30
Q3 2025 Earnings Call
11 months ago
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Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q2 2026 Earnings Call
1. Management Discussion
And welcome to the presentation of KONGSBERG's second quarter results. This presentation is done as a webcast only, and you will be able to send in questions through the chat function.
Please note that this presentation contains forward-looking statements that, by their nature, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the actual results to differ.
Today's presentation will be delivered to you by our CEO, Eirik Lie; and our CFO, Martin Wien Fjell.
With that, I will hand it over to our CEO, Eirik.
Thank you, Jan Edvin. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to this second quarter results presentation. The second quarter of 2026 was characterized by high activity levels across the company, both in new orders and in our production facilities. We continued to sign significant new contracts, and we made key deliveries to our customers.
Last week, I was in Ankara for the NATO Summit and Industry Meeting. The messages from NATO were clear. Europe must continue to invest in its own defense capabilities and seek joint procurement with other countries.
The need for high industrial production is increasing and urgent. And the Ukraine war continues to show the importance for air defense, missiles and anti-drone capabilities. There is also a critical need for missiles that can be produced in high volumes as well as protection against tactical ballistic missiles.
In Ankara, NATO countries announced more than USD 50 billion in new procurements. Several countries announced major investments in their own defense capabilities. Many of these were relevant for us. Canada joined the German-Norwegian submarine program for which KONGSBERG is a major supplier. Lithuania signed an agreement with Norway for the potential procurement of standardized vessels, which we are designing with Salt Ship Design. And finally, Belgium joined the Netherlands with its intention to acquire multiple NASAMS systems. The contracts for these systems will come at a later stage, but they are strong examples of the overall trend.
Europe and NATO are making investments, and KONGSBERG has products that meet current demand. In the second quarter, revenues increased by 31% to NOK10.4 billion from the same period last year. This is the first time we report revenues about NOK 10 billion, a major achievement.
Earnings before interest and tax were NOK 1.7 billion, resulting in an EBIT margin of 16.1%. The results were driven by high volumes across the company with strong growth in air defense, missiles and remote weapon stations projects.
Order intake in the quarter was NOK 17.1 billion, not including the NOK 400 million contract to deliver NASAMS to Kuwait. This took the total order backlog to NOK 158 billion.
As usual, Martin will provide further details about the financials in his presentation.
Activity levels were high throughout the second quarter. We completed the acquisition of Zone 5, which we see as a potential game changer for us. I will come back to this later in the presentation.
We are on track with establishing new facilities. The missile factories in the U.S. and Australia are under construction, and we are preparing new establishments, for example, in Poland. This summer, we are moving into new facilities in Horten, in Norway.
We also shared our new financial ambitions on our Capital Markets Day, presenting plans to triple revenues to NOK 100 billion by 2029 and NOK 150 billion in 2033. High demand for our key products drove the order backlog to NOK 158 billion. As I mentioned in the first quarter presentation, we expected to see new contracts for the Joint Strike Missile.
In the second quarter, new orders for JSM totaled NOK 11 billion. Both Germany and the U.S. placed repeat orders for NOK 3.5 billion and NOK 2.7 billion, respectively. And at the end of June, we signed a contract to deliver JSM to Canada, making it the sixth country to select the missile for its fighter aircraft fleet.
Recent events in the Middle East are driving up demand for air defense and anti-drone solutions. KONGSBERG has strong positions in select markets in the region. In June, we signed a contract with our partner, Raytheon, for deliveries of the NASAMS Air Defense System to Kuwait through the U.S. foreign military sales program. While the contract did not impact on the second quarter results and order backlog, the overall program has a value for KONGSBERG of about USD 400 million.
Preventing and detecting threats and attacks are essential to protect critical infrastructure. KONGSBERG has solutions to support countries and industries, and we're now starting to see countries making investments. In June, we signed contracts worth more than NOK 200 million. The project is for an unnamed international customer and will focus primarily on underwater surveillance and protection.
One month ago, we closed and completed the acquisition of Zone 5. Zone 5 was founded in 2011 and is based in California. It has about 400 employees and is growing fast. It is an established maker of high-volume missiles, also called affordable mass. These are highly capable interceptors that are designed to be reduced in tens of thousands per year. Zone 5 has developed combat-ready strike and air defense interceptors and are under contract with the U.S. government.
The Zone 5 portfolio includes 2 key products. Rusty Dagger is a cost-effective, strike missile with long-range and flexible launch options. White Spike is a cost-effective air defense interceptor.
We acquired Zone 5 because modern warfare shows that defense capability is not only about the most advanced systems, but also about volume, production pace, stock levels, and having the right cost per effect. This places new demands on both defense capability and industrial capacity.
Zone 5 gives KONGSBERG complementary capabilities. High-end missiles are still required against demanding targets and in complex threat environments. Together with Zone 5, we have started work to add White Spike to our Air Defense and counter U.S. offering. Zone 5 is industrializing and scaling up manufacturing in the U.S. It is well positioned to win more contracts in the U.S.
KONGSBERG aims to establish manufacturing of Zone 5 missiles in Europe. We are looking for countries and partners to create European hubs for high-volume production. With Zone 5, we can also introduce new and different business models. For very high volumes, it is unsustainable to produce at maximum levels every year. We are, therefore, proposing a subscription model to countries by which the manufacturer will be paid to secure that we can scale up production fast within a fixed time frame.
This model also means we can continuously introduce upgrades and new technology. And this type of scalable production is exactly what Europe needs. Our expectation is for Zone 5 to generate annual revenue of more than NOK 10 billion in the medium term.
The pace of innovation in our industry is happening faster than ever before. New entrants often from Sweden sectors, propose novel solutions, and established players are pushed to stay relevant. Collaboration between these 2 types of businesses is often challenging.
KONGSBERG is in a unique position. The combination of our civilian business in the Discovery division, and our established Defense Solutions means we can innovate internally, but we're also looking outside our own company.
I would like to highlight 2 examples of collaboration that address some of the biggest topics in our industry. We recently signed an MoU with the Ukrainian defense technology company, DevDroid, for large-scale production and development of remotely operated robotic combat systems. With operation with DevDroid combines the battle proven solutions with KONGSBERG experience in developing autonomous defense systems.
We have an ambition to add long-range capabilities to our Air Defense offering, to come to the full spectrum of our aerial sets. Today, we are working with Ukrainian and international partners on integrating long-range anti-ballistic missile solutions. This system will be based on NASAMS.
These are examples of how KONGSBERG finds the right partners to accelerate the time to market. Activities show how KONGSBERG is positioned in the market. We are big enough to be a prime contractor to the world's largest customers, but we are also agile enough to move fast and drive rapid innovation internally and with partners. In today's market, this is a very powerful combination, and I don't see many other companies in the same position.
That concludes the first part of my presentation. I'm now happy to hand over to our CFO, Martin. Thank you.
Thank you, Eirik, and good morning to all of you following us through the webcast. I'm happy to present what is yet another solid quarter for KONGSBERG.
Before I get into the figures, I will kindly remind you that consistent with our first quarter and our Capital Markets Day figures include the proportionate share of 50-50 owned joint ventures. This is relevant for order intake, order backlog, revenue and EBIT. This is done to align the external reporting with internal governance and highlights the significant value that these represent.
Starting with this quarter order intake and backlog. The total order intake for the quarter came in at NOK 17.1 billion. Once again, this resulted in a record high order backlog, which is now at NOK 158 billion. Eirik already talked about the quarter's most significant contract wins, but I think it is worth repeating that we received 3 significant JSM orders totaling NOK 10.9 billion.
Looking at our division Defense Systems, it experienced lower order intake in the quarter after having reported record order intake in first quarter. This is a natural fluctuation and the announced NASAMS agreement with Raytheon for an FMS sale to Kuwait highlights the current demand.
For our Discovery division, orders were up from last year and at a steady level. The nature of our Discovery business is that orders come in at higher volume but at a lower contract value.
On the slide, you will find our backlog split by both division and by delivery time. NOK 77 billion of our current backlog is in with the Defense Systems, NOK 68 billion belong to Missiles and Aerostructures, and the remaining NOK 12 billion belong to Discovery. 13% and NOK 21 billion of the backlog is to be delivered during the 2 remaining quarters of 2026. NOK 44 billion is for the delivery in 2027 and the remaining NOK 92 billion spans out into 2028 and beyond. This clearly shows the long-term growth pathway that we are on and provides a solid foundation going forward.
Then let's move on to revenue. KONGSBERG delivered another strong quarter. Revenue came in at NOK 10.4 billion at an increase of 31% compared to second quarter 2025. This is the first time that we report revenues above NOK 10 billion, and it's really a milestone that we are proud of. All 3 divisions contributed to and it range from 19% to 53%. Activity is high across all areas, and we are working continuously on scaling operation ramping up production capacity in order to deliver on our backlog and the future demand that we see.
Defense Systems grew revenues by 53% in the quarter, from NOK 3.3 billion to NOK 5.1 billion, a continued strong development. The division continues to execute well on several air defense projects. Also in the quarter, we saw a particular strong growth within the weapon stations, partly driven by the initial progress on the CUAS for Poland.
Our Missiles and Aerostructures division delivered a top line growth of 19%, resulting in a revenue of NOK 2.9 billion, up from NOK 2.4 billion last year. The ramp-up of our missile production continues, and the program is well on track.
In June, we completed the acquisition of Zone 5 and as a result, 3 weeks of operations have been included in the second quarter. Discovery grew revenues by 21% in the quarter, which is a solid growth. The main driver was increase in deliveries relating to space and in particular, the production of small satellites.
Turning our attention to profitability. EBIT came in at NOK 1.7 billion with a corresponding margin of 16.1%. This compares to NOK 1.1 billion and a margin of 14.2% last year. As a result, we are increasing our EBIT margin by 1.9 percentage points. The absolute EBIT improvement is 49% versus the 31% revenue growth and it clearly demonstrates the successful scale-up of our operations.
Our profitability will continue to vary between quarters. In the period, we also included IFRS impact of the revoked export license to Malaysia. We had other positive one-off effects in the quarter more or less offsetting this effect. Due to the ongoing negotiations, we will not go into further details.
Looking at the divisions, Defense Systems delivered a growth in operating results of 38% in the quarter, resulting in an EBIT of NOK 902 million. The margin came in at 17.7%, down from 19.6% in Q2 2025. This is due to our varied product and project mix, which is to be expected between quarters. Specifically, the quarter included the new Norwegian donation project to Ukraine, and associated with this is lower margins.
Missiles and Aerostructures delivered an EBIT of NOK 488 million. This yields a growth rate of roughly 18% due to higher missile production volume. The margin is around the same level as in second quarter 2025 at 16.9% versus the 17.1% last year. We are managing to scale and extract benefits from our existing missile production. The production ramp-up in Zone 5 is expected to impact margins going forward, as we also saw when it came to the scale-up of our NSM and JSM missile production.
In short, we expect single-digit profit margins for the next 12 to 24 months for Zone 5 before normalizing at normal KONGSBERG levels. Discovery increased EBIT from NOK 330 million last year to NOK 347 million this quarter, a percentage increase of 5%. The margin ended at 15.3%, down from 17.6% last year. This was driven by a less favorable product mix in the quarter. Also, as we have communicated earlier, the division is in a phase of significant investment and moving into new facilities that will impact margins.
For this quarter, we saw an adverse effect of about 1 percentage point. Adjusting for this, underlying EBIT margin was 16.5%. The new facilities will allow for improved efficiency and support margin expansion. Beyond the divisions, the other segment contributed positively, and we have realized positive development in Falkor previously known as KONGSBERG Digital, following the successful cost reduction program that we initiated in the first quarter. And Falkor has now turned EBIT positive in June.
In addition, the other segment includes other positive periodization effects this quarter. This brings the EBIT margin for the quarter up to 16.1%, which we believe is a good representation of the underlying performance of KONGSBERG for the quarter.
Next, let's look at Patria, which is not included in our APMs as our ownership share is less than 50%. As always, the Q2 numbers presented on the slide include March, April and May. Patria reported revenues of EUR 321 million and an EBIT of EUR 50 million. KONGSBERG's share on net income for the quarter was NOK 215 million.
EBIT margin was doubled in this quarter compared to the same quarter last year and continued improvements in margins are expected. The revenue growth of 42% was particularly driven by the protected mobility business area and the recently acquired ILIAS business.
Patria has over time grown their backlog and secured several significant contracts. The backlog stands at EUR 3.5 billion as of May, up from EUR 2.5 billion last year. Note that this is not included in KONGSBERG reported backlog.
Similar to KONGSBERG, Patria continues to invest in increased production capacity to meet the significant demand. We continue to have a joint business through our remote weapon stations and the 6x6 vehicles.
Finally, I will turn to cash flow and working capital. The cash position was reduced from NOK 16.4 billion at the start of the period to NOK 4.9 billion at the end of the quarter. Dividend payment of NOK 5 billion, cash payment for Zone 5 of NOK 3.7 billion and NOK 1 billion bond repayment were the main drivers.
Our working capital position remains strong at a negative NOK 9.1 billion. Customer advances and milestone payments will result in natural fluctuations. Our focus is to manage working capital efficiently, while ensuring that inventory, supply chain capacity and project funding are at a satisfactory level. Overall, we continue to have strong financial position that provides a solid foundation for further growth.
And with that, I will leave the floor to you, Eirik for some final remarks.
Thank you, Martin. At the end of the second quarter, the order backlog was NOK 158 billion. About NOK 21 billion of this will be delivered during the rest of 2026. Call-offs from framework agreements and aftermarket services will come in addition to this. As communicated in the first quarter presentation, we expect revenue growth in 2026 above the 2025 level.
The development we have seen in the second quarter makes me confident that we are in a good position to realize our long-term ambitions in 2029 and 2033. We have a strong market position. We have a significant order backlog and solid financial position. This provides a good basis for continued growth in 2026 and beyond. Thank you.
Thank you, Eirik. We will then open it up for questions. First from Fabian Jorgensen in Pareto. Can you please quantify the margin effect of the Ukraine donations and the Others segment?
So as we have said earlier, our margins are a combination of project and product mix. And when it comes to the Ukrainian donation programs, that is one example of how our EBIT margins are impacted. When it comes into quantification, I will not go into those kind of details in this call.
And also from Fabian, the NATO Summit revealed several co-production agreements for U.S. systems in Europe, including Patriot. How does this affect the full-spectrum air defense outlook?
I think, it really supports our ambition to have a full-spectrum air defense system going forward. And it also points out how important anti-ballistic missile defenses in general for Ukraine and for the Berlin in all aspects. Our ambition is to be part of -- to take part in this. And U.S. has also an ambition to secure and support Ukraine in their efforts as well.
And then from Benjamin Heelan in Bank of America. There has been a strong decline in the margin year-over-year in Defense System. Is there anything in particular driving these? And are there other dynamics that we should be thinking about in margins for the midterm?
No. What we see in Defense Systems is a very successful ramp-up of production. So they are growing rapidly. And when it comes to the margins, this is a natural development. And again, it's back to the project mix that is really driving the composition of the margin.
And then another question from Benjamin on what you talked about, Eirik, about the subscription models. Have you already proposed the subscription model for missile production to countries, and what has the responses been?
Yes, we are in dialogue with several countries. I will not mention the specific countries, but the interest is definitely there because this is needed and the need for a different model, a business model, how to handle a production of tens of thousands per year is very -- it needs to be sold. And I think we will see a very positive outcome of this when we look at Europe in general.
And then from Ole-Petter Sjovold in SpareBank. What specific IFRS impact from the revoked export license to Malaysia did you include in Q2? And what positive one-offs offset this?
So as we mentioned, Malaysia or the contract in Malaysia was -- had a revoke of the export license from the Norwegian government. And accordingly, we have taken the appropriate effects into our figures. But at the same time, we've had a similar positive effects as other one-offs. When it comes into the quantification, we can not go into details on this due to the ongoing negotiations.
And then from Kevin Landor, journalist with Defense Nordic. At the Capital Markets Day, you presented very ambitious growth targets. One month later, what gives you the greatest confidence that those ambitions are achievable and what worries you the most?
First of all, I think what we experienced during the NATO Summit in Ankara confirmed the need for investments into defense and security and the confirmation from NATO countries. So I think that confirms and plays into our high ambition level for 2029 and beyond. So that is one relevant aspect of that. We also see and discuss with the customers, the demand they have that will also support our ambitions. So I think this is very much relevant for our goals for 2029.
And then from Hans Erik Jacobsen in Arctic. Can you give some guidance on revenues from Zone 5 this year and next?
So as Eirik said, we are aiming for a revenue of NOK 10 billion in the medium term. And right now, it's 3 weeks since we concluded the acquisition, and our focus is fully on both integrating the company into KONGSBERG and also being able to deliver on the exciting growth opportunities that we have ahead.
I'd like to come back to the previous question because there was also about the challenges or that could impact our ambitions. I think we have to be realistic in the sense that we always stated that the biggest challenge is to secure the supply chain. And that is still relevant.
Even though we have a very positive look at the supply chain. And this is our most important job actually to secure the supply chain and the deliveries there, both for investments and secure that we have multiple sources. And also that we are building up what we call a strategic approach, a buffer capacity so that with hiccups in the supply chain, we are able to continue our production. So I think even though we don't see major issues in this area, we are aware of it. We're working on this every day.
Thank you. That concludes the questions from the webcast, and that also concludes today's presentation. So we would like to thank all of you that have followed us online for following us, and we wish all of you a great summer.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q2 2026 Earnings Call
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q2 2026 Earnings Call
Record Q2: revenue NOK 10.4bn (+31%), EBIT NOK 1.7bn (16.1% margin), backlog NOK 158bn; Zone 5 adds high‑volume missile capacity.
📊 Quarter at a Glance
- Revenue: NOK 10.4bn (+31% YoY), first quarter above NOK 10bn.
- EBIT: NOK 1.7bn; Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin 16.1% (up 1.9pp YoY).
- Order intake: NOK 17.1bn in Q2 (excludes ~USD 400m NASAMS to Kuwait via FMS).
- Backlog: NOK 158bn total; NOK 21bn deliverable in H2 2026, NOK 44bn in 2027, NOK 92bn 2028+.
- Cash: Cash down to NOK 4.9bn after NOK 5bn dividend, NOK 3.7bn Zone 5 payment and NOK 1bn bond repayment.
🎯 What Management Says
- Scale-up: Completed Zone 5 acquisition to add high‑volume, lower‑cost missiles (Rusty Dagger, White Spike) and industrial scale capacity in US and planned European hubs.
- Ambition: Growth targets to NOK 100bn revenue by 2029 and NOK 150bn by 2033, driven by air defence, missiles and exports after NATO procurement momentum.
- Business models & partners: Proposing subscription-style production for surge capacity; partnerships (Raytheon, DevDroid, others) to accelerate product integration and long‑range capabilities.
🔭 Outlook & Guidance
- 2026 view: Expect revenue growth above 2025 level; high activity and large backlog support this near‑term growth.
- Zone 5 impact: Targeting >NOK 10bn annual revenue from Zone 5 in the medium term; short‑term single‑digit margins for 12–24 months while industrialising.
- Risks: Supply‑chain security remains primary operational risk; IFRS effects from revoked Malaysia licence and one‑offs were included but not quantified.
❓ Analyst Q&A
- Margins: Questions on margin drag from Ukraine donation and project mix; management declined to quantify specific impact, citing project mix variability.
- Subscription model: Interest from multiple countries but no named customers yet; management confirms active dialogues.
- Cash & IFRS: Sharp cash reduction explained by dividend, Zone 5 payment and bond repayment; details on IFRS hit from Malaysian licence revocation withheld due to ongoing negotiations.
⚡ Bottom Line
- Conclusion: Q2 confirms strong demand and execution: record revenue, rising margins and a NOK 158bn backlog underpin aggressive growth targets. Zone 5 materially strengthens volume and go‑to‑market options but will depress near‑term margins and require cash for scale-up. Watch supply‑chain, cash runway after large dividend/acquisition and how Zone 5 integrates operationally.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Analyst/Investor Day - Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
1. Management Discussion
[Presentation]
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Kongsberg's Capital Markets Day.
We are pleased to see that so many investors, analysts and other stakeholders have decided to spend the day with us today, both here in Kongsberg and via webcast. This year, we decided to host our Capital Markets Day in the city of Kongsberg during Kongsberg Agenda. We consider Kongsberg Agenda as Norway's leading technology festival, where technology and people come together to drive change, share knowledge and build networks. We hope that you have the chance to also attend some of the other events taking place at Kongsberg Agenda. Some of our systems and solutions are exhibited outside in the streets of Kongsberg during Agenda. So we also hope that you have a chance to inspect these in greater detail and to learn more about these through discussing with some of our colleagues.
Before we begin, I'd like to point out some practical information. We have no planned emergency exercises today. So in case of an alarm, please exit the building through your nearest available emergency exit. The exits are clearly marked. There are emergency exits on each side of the hall, one behind the curtains towards Grand Hotel, one through the storage area as well as the main entrance where you entered. In the event of a fire alarm, the assembly point is outside the street outside Magazinet.
The Norway Civil Defense plans to test the public warning sirens at noon. This is part of their biannual testing of the sirens, and there is no reason to be alarmed. Restrooms are located in the basement and on the second floor. Accessible restrooms are available on the second floor. There will be a 20-minute break during the sessions where you can fill up on coffee and other refreshments. After the presentation and the Q&A at noon, there will be a standing buffet lunch served in Eplehagen located to the right as you exit the hall with the opportunity to mingle and discuss.
Today, you will receive presentations from our CEO, Eirik Lie; and our CFO, Martin Wien Fjell, followed by the President of the 3 divisions, Defense Systems, Missiles and Aerostructures and Discovery. The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session. Participants joining online may submit questions through the webcast platform at any time during the event. The presentation has been made available on our website. Throughout the day, the management team will present on our strategic priorities, financial performance and financial ambitions, followed by selected deep dives into our technologies and solutions.
Please note that today's presentations include forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. Also, Kongsberg's strategic plans will place increased emphasis on joint ventures and other partnerships going forward. It has therefore been decided that division follow-up and reporting will include proportional figures from joint ventures in the reporting of revenues, EBITDA, EBIT, order intake and order backlog.
Companies in which the group holds an ownership interest of 50% and has a significant operational influence are included in these metrics. These restated figures are defined as alternative performance measures, and most of the financial figures in today's presentations are APMs. With that, it is my pleasure to introduce our President and CEO, Eirik Lie, who will begin with an overview of the group's recent developments, strategy and financial ambitions. Eirik, the floor is yours.
Thank you, Jan Erik, and good morning, everyone, and welcome to Kongsberg's Capital Markets Day 2026. And for those of you in the room, a warm welcome to the city of Kongsberg. It has been 2 years since our last Capital Markets Day. The world and Kongsberg has changed a lot since 2024. But the format for this day remains the same. We will provide you with a deep dive into our business and share some of our thoughts about our markets and strategy as well as our financial ambitions, of course.
Two years ago, we said geopolitics had put defense and security on top of the world agenda, together with sustainability. This is still true today. The world remains uncertain and unpredictable. Wars, armed conflicts and political tension dominate the headlines globally. In this environment, our purpose to protect people and planet is more critical than ever. The war in Ukraine is now in its fifth year. Kongsberg plays an important role supporting Ukraine with air defense, anti-drone solutions and more. And we are learning from the Ukrainians every day.
The biggest change in the last 2 years has been the role of Europe. As the U.S. increasingly focus on priorities outside Europe, European countries must take more responsibility for their own security, their own capabilities and for continued support to Ukraine. This is recognized as a principle and long-term direction since Europe needs to expand capacity. Kongsberg has also undergone major changes. We split from Kongsberg Maritime and created a focused technology company, serving defense, security and surveillance markets. Given the market growth and industrial opportunities we see ahead of us, I am confident that this was the right decision. With an executive leadership team and the Board of Directors fully dedicated to defense and security. Kongsberg is well positioned to take advantage of the investment and technology trends that are shaping the industry in the coming years.
What we see is that the market continues to grow. This is fundamental and long-term shift. Defense spending is increasing across all relevant and addressable markets. From 2025 until 2030, we are looking at a 44% increase in procurement in our key markets. Over the next decade, European spending is estimated to increase significantly. 70% of our order backlog comes from Europe. Of this, approximately 10% to 15% is in Norway. And Norway has established a 10-years long-term plan as a response to the changed security landscape.
The plan is adjusted at regular intervals to new needs. The triangle cooperation between the Norwegian government, the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment and industry is unique in the world. The combination of this and flexibility in the long-term plan is crucial for developing and enhancing defense solutions and capacity. So the collaboration with the Norwegian government gives Kongsberg a good foundation going forward. The U.S. remains the biggest defense market. The market growth was expected to be fairly flat until recently, but we now see this changing. We are also strengthening our position in the U.S. with both new production and strategic acquisitions. I will come back to this later in the presentation.
Increasingly, more orders for our core products continue to demonstrate the strong position Kongsberg has built in the U.S. We also see other markets with increased potential for our products outside of Europe and the U.S. Examples include Canada, Australia and Japan. They are increasing defense spending and building broader security partnerships with multiple countries. And we will continue to position ourselves in these markets. Across these markets, demand for our key products, including strike missiles, air defense and weapon stations solutions remains strong. Today, we will show how Kongsberg is positioned to meet this.
The war in Ukraine has transformed the battlefield, and it has changed how countries think about building up their own capabilities. The need for effective air defense was demonstrated from the very first day of the war in Ukraine. NASAMS had proved its value as the most effective medium-range air defense system with an impressive success rate of around 95%. The threat from low-cost drones poses new challenges in the air. Anti-drone or counter unmanned aerial systems have become essential. Not a single vehicle can enter the battlefield in Ukraine without an anti-drone system protection in place. Without it, the risk being taken out almost immediately.
Both the Ukraine war and the conflicts in the Middle East have shown that the combination of low-cost drones in high volume together with advanced cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles poses a new threat scenario that needs to be countered. And this has challenged air defense systems to adapt quickly to be able to take out several hundred low-cost drones with similar affordable missiles and at the same time, use high-end missile solutions to take down the advanced threats.
As the volume of simultaneous threats increases dramatically, another lesson from Ukraine and Middle East is that the defense cannot only be about responding to attacks after they have started. Countries also need the ability to disrupt and prevent threats before they reach critical infrastructure, military forces or civilian populations. To do this, long-range precision strike capabilities are an important part of a modern defense.
And what we have seen in the air, we believe also see on and below the surface of the years ahead. These are areas where Kongsberg has strong technology and deep domain knowledge. With the changes we are seeing on the battlefield, our portfolio is perfectly positioned to meet future needs. We have market-leading positions in core segments such as air defense, missiles, remote weapon stations and counter UAS, which you can see in the middle of the picture here. These positions have been built up over many years. They represent technology leadership and proven solutions, but also strong customer relations, partnerships and trust.
We are also technology leaders in what we call the 2 new frontiers of modern Defense, underwater operations and space for defense. Our established market standing customer relationships and industrial partners put us in a great position to drive innovation and adoption of these segments in the future. You will see this slide again from Kjetil, Øyvind and Camilla later today.
Our 3 divisions have some clear differences, but also a lot in common. Our entire product portfolio is supported by our technology backbone, which is built around a few key themes: integrated systems, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence. These technologies improve efficiency of systems, protects people and removing the soldier from the most high-risk areas and is critical to meet similar developments in threats. You will hear more about these topics later today.
The first and perhaps most natural growth driver is that the total investment plans in our key markets will continue to drive demand in our core portfolio. The growth will come from 3 sources. Number one, we will see existing customers return to buy more NASAMS, more NSM and JSM and more remote weapon stations solutions. Number two, new countries will acquire these solutions. So our total customer base will grow. And number three, we will adapt and develop our existing products to new platforms like aircraft, vessels, vehicle, drones and more.
The second big driver of growth is the accelerated speed of innovation in the defense industry. We are seeing this in Ukraine, where new solutions are adopted and tried out daily. On this -- on the slide, you can see a remote station with a drone radar onboard an unmanned vessel. This is a typical example how we can adopt counter UAS solutions from land to sea.
The third growth driver is deployment of dual-use technology, solutions that are developed in the civilian market that have a concrete and immediate impact on the battlefield. Space for defense and underwater autonomous systems such as HUGIN are great examples of dual-use tech that will shape the defense industry of the future.
The fourth and final major growth driver we are seeing in the defense industry is the need to produce much higher volumes on missiles artillery faster and at the right cost. Deploying advanced high-end missiles to counter cheap drones is not sustainable, either from an industrial and economical point of view. The need to match threats with countermeasures at the right cost and volume has become critical.
This is not new thinking for Kongsberg. We have worked with this logic for many years, including in our remote weapon systems, where scalability has been important from the beginning. What has changed is the scale and urgency of the need. This is why we decided to acquire Zone 5.
Zone 5 is the most established maker of high-volume and affordable missiles. I'm therefore very pleased to announce today that we have closed the transaction that we first announced in December last year. The California-based company has already developed proven strike and air defense missiles. Zone 5 missiles are designed to be delivered in thousands, even tens of thousands per year. At the cost level is in the 1 in 10 range compared with established high-end alternatives. This makes it ideal to combat low-cost drone attacks or to provide volume for preventive strike.
Kongsberg aims to bring scalable volume to Europe and seeks to establish manufacturing of Zone 5 missiles here. We are looking to enter dialogue with countries that wish to take the leading position and create a European hub for high-volume production. The Zone 5 portfolio will complement our current offerings and position Kongsberg as one of very few companies in the defense industry to offer both high-end and high-volume missiles.
Our order backlog at the end of first quarter was NOK 152 billion. So delivering on our order backlog is always our #1 priority. We have built up our production capacity over the last few years. The Nexus missile factory in Norway is producing at high rate. The same is true to produce NASAMs and remote weapon stations. However, we still have the flexibility to increase production even further in response to rising demand.
In Australia, as you can see on the picture to the right, the construction of the missile factory is progressing well. We are on track to move in, in 2027. And our new factory in the U.S. is also progressing with missiles being scheduled for production in 2028. We will continue to invest in our ability to deliver to our customers on time and budget. New projects will include investments in Europe, and we are currently preparing to set up assembly and manufacturing facilities in Poland, supporting our major contract to deliver counter UAS systems in the country and potentially others.
Now if you allow me to take a few steps back. 2 years ago, Kongsberg launched its 10-years target for revenue and margin development. At the time, these targets apply to the whole group, including Kongsberg Maritime. In June 2024, our ambition was to reach NOK 120 billion in revenue and margin above 15% in 2033. At the time, Kongsberg Maritime and the rest of Kongsberg were roughly equal in terms of revenue. And today, we are ready to launch a new set of ambitions for the new and focused Kongsberg. And there are 3 key market trends driving future growth. Geopolitical uncertainty, learnings from ongoing conflicts and technology development.
These trends all point to strong demand and higher volumes for defense technology. And there are several reasons why we are in a position to raise our ambitions compared with 2024. The overall demand is higher and expected to increase more. We have gained greater market share in key segments. We have scaled up successfully from building more robust supply chains to recruiting the right talent. We have also added production lines and opened new factories. Our portfolio fits the market needs even better. We have strengthened our presence in international markets. For example, we are one of the few companies that are positioned to grow in the U.S. as well as in Europe.
With that in mind, we have set ourselves an ambition to increase revenues to NOK 100 billion in 2029 and NOK 150 billion in 2033. In the same period, we aim to generate earnings before interest and tax above 16%. This is ambitious. We aim to triple revenue from 2025 until 2029 and increase it 5x from '25 till 2033.
So let me end where I started. The world has changed significantly since our last Capital Markets Day. And Kongsberg has changed with it. We are now a focused company with a clear role in markets that are becoming even more important for our customers, for Norway, for Europe and for our allies. Our task is to grow with discipline. Our task is to improve our margins. And our task is to continue to invest in the people, technology and capacity needed for the years ahead.
Thank you to everyone joining us here today and to those following us online. I hope today will give you a clear understanding of the company we are now and the opportunities we see ahead. So with that, I will hand over to our CFO, Martin, who will take you through our financial performance and ambitions in more details. Thank you.
Yes. Thank you, Erik, and a big good morning to everyone. It is great to see so many here today and also a big welcome to those of you that are following us online. In my part of the presentation, I will take you through the financial perspective on Kongsberg Development, our ambitions and the principles that guide how we allocate capital.
As you have heard already, Kongsberg has changed significantly over the past few years. Our current business is becoming more international, and we have narrowed our focus. The foundation remains the same: technology leadership, strong domain knowledge, strong customer relationships, disciplined execution and a clear focus on profitable growth. We are a defense-focused technology company. I will start with a look at our financial development over the past decade, then I will go through our divisions, our financial ambitions and some of the market dynamics supporting these ambitions. Finally, I will spend time on capital allocation, how we think about the balance sheet, investments, shareholder remuneration, portfolio management and also partnerships.
This slide gives a good overview of the journey that we've had over the past 10 years. When we look back, revenues have increased significantly from NOK 10.5 billion in 2016 to NOK 34.7 billion in the last 12 months. EBIT has grown strongly from NOK 0.8 billion in 2016 to NOK 5.5 billion in the last year. Revenues have more than tripled and operating margin has doubled as we have moved from an EBIT margin of 8% in 2016 to 15.8% for the last 12 months. Just as important, we have built a much larger order backlog, and it now stands at NOK 152 billion compared to NOK 14 billion 10 years ago.
The backlog gives us significant stronger platform for future growth that we have ever had before. And as Erik says, delivering on our customer commitments is our #1 priority. And I think one number that illustrates the change very clearly is the order intake. In 2016, Kongsberg had an order intake of NOK 8 billion. In the last 12 months, that number is now NOK 73 billion. And that really summarize the scale in which the entire company has grown. And importantly, this growth has not come from one single event or one single contract. It is the result of long-term positioning across attractive markets, consistent technology development, strong execution over many years.
We have continuously been investing strategically in product development and building technology positions. We have been ahead of the curve in making well-planned investments in capacity for the demand that we have anticipated. We have expanded our defense activities and examples include how we have strengthened our missile business and developed new capabilities such as Counter UAS. We have built leading positions in maritime and ocean-related technologies, and we have continued to win the trust among customers globally. And the point I want to make with this slide is quite simple. Kongsberg has a long history of profitable growth, and the company enters the coming years from a position of strength. At the same time, we are very conscious that strong historical performance does not automatically translate into future performance. And that is the context for the rest of my presentation.
Kongsberg today consists of 3 strong divisions. We have Defense Systems, Missiles and Aerostructures and Discovery. And what is important to highlight is that all of these divisions, they contribute meaningfully to the group on all parameters. They operate in different markets. They have different business models and different order profiles, but they are all strong, they are growing and they are not least profitable. Defense Systems has seen a very strong demand, and this has been driven by the growing need for air defense solutions command and control systems and broader security needs among nations.
In the last 12 months, they delivered revenues of NOK 15.4 billion, up from NOK 9.4 billion in 2023. The order backlog in this division ended at NOK 80 billion last quarter. And it gives you good visibility for the coming years. And Kjetil, the Head of the division, he will come here later and talk about what we are seeing today and what we should expect for tomorrow. Missiles and Aerostructures has also a very strong position. Last 12 months revenues has been NOK 10.3 billion, and this compares to NOK 6 billion in 2023. The missile business is supported by increasing demand for advanced strike capabilities, including both naval and air launch systems.
Aerostructures adds important industrial capability and long-term customer relationships. And together, this division has a significant backlog of NOK 60 billion and strong growth opportunities across the portfolio. And Øyvind, he will add more color to this. Discovery operates in somewhat different markets with a strong offering in both deep sea and space activities. And this is what we refer to as the 2 new frontiers. Last 12 months revenues were NOK 8.1 billion compared to NOK 5.9 billion in 2023. In this business, the time from order to delivery is shorter, leading to a natural smaller order backlog than what you have for Defense Systems and you have for missiles. And it currently stands at NOK 11.3 billion. But Discovery has strong technology positions, leading products and attractive long-term opportunities, and Camilla, she will go through that in further details later.
To summarize, we see 3 strong divisions, each with distinct positions and growth drivers. But at the same time, they are all strengthening each other, 4 current product areas and the 2 new frontiers. The slide also shows the backlog and how it's distributed by year. This is important because it gives us visibility. Both Europe and the U.S. are extremely important to us, and we also continue to see opportunities in selected markets in the rest of the world.
Norway as a technology partner and developer is typically a first adopter of our products and remain a key partner. The size of the order backlog gives us confidence, but it also comes with great expectations, and we really need to deliver. We need to succeed with our expansion of capacity. We need to secure supply chains, and we need to do this while we are protecting quality, profitability and also customer confidence. And that is the financial and operational balancing act that we are currently managing.
As Erik presented earlier, we have a set of clear ambitions for both revenue and EBIT margin, both for the medium term, and we have defined as 2029 and for the longer term, and we have defined that as 2033. Kongsberg will aim for NOK 100 billion in 2029, rising to NOK 150 billion in 2033. And for both mid and long term, we are aiming for an EBIT margin that is above 16%. We believe these numbers are ambitious, but they are grounded in the order backlog that we have secured. It's grounded in the pipeline of opportunities that we see and also in the strategic ambitions that we have put forward.
If we look at the revenue development from 2021 to 2025, the growth has already been very strong. Kongsberg has become a much larger company in a relatively short period of time, effectively tripling our revenue. But the ambition that we are presenting contains an even higher growth rate, implying tripled revenues from 2025 to 2029 and fivefold increase to 2033. This is based on a structured assessment of demand, capacity, technology, execution risk and also capital needs. Put differently, it is a bottom-up assessment of what we believe is ambitious but still achievable ambitions.
To deliver on these ambitions, we need to execute on 3 things in particular. First, we need to deliver on the existing backlog. That means delivering to the customers on time at the right quality and with the right profitability. Second, we need to continue winning new orders. The market opportunity is significant, but competition is also strong. We need to continue to invest in technology in order to maintain our relevance. Third, we need to scale the company in a disciplined way. Growth of this magnitude requires investment, investments in facilities, equipment, people, supply chain and also working capital. We need to invest ahead of demand, but we must also remain financially disciplined.
The EBIT margin that we have put forward reflect this balance. We will improve efficiency and benefit from scale. At the same time, we will ensure relevant product offering with growth over the decades to come. That means investing in R&D and also taking on long-term development projects. While some of these projects will not contribute profit for several years, they may deliver significant growth a decade from now. And it should be noted that we are also exposed to varying FX rates over time, but we are taking active measures to minimize the risk, and we are risking the entire backlog.
So the message on this slide is that Kongsberg has clear financial ambitions, and we believe they are supported by strong market fundamentals, a robust backlog and also leading technology positions. Patria is owned 49.9% by Kongsberg and the remainder is owned by the Finnish state. As such, Patria is not consolidated into Kongsberg's revenue or EBIT. It is accounted for as an associated company, and it is not included in our alternative performance measures due to the owner stake being below the 50% threshold. Hence, I would like to spend just some minutes also talking about Patria.
Patria is a leading defense and technology company headquartered in Finland with strong positions in areas such as armored vehicles, defense systems, sustainment, aviation and also life cycle support. Patria is strategically important to Kongsberg. It gives us exposure to attractive defense markets. It strengthen our Nordic defense industrial footprint, and it provides complementary capabilities to our own portfolio. As an example, we are realizing strong synergies in areas such as remote weapon stations that we install on the Patria armored vehicles and also within aviation maintenance.
Across the business, we continue to see solid growth with armored vehicle segment standing out as the key driver. This is supported by a strong momentum and several major contracts that we have secured over the past year. The backlog remains at record high levels, providing good visibility going forward, but also for Patria, we need to expand capacity in order to deliver on the growth. Improving profitability remains a clear priority for Patria, and this is driven by a dedicated program and also increasing operational leverage.
I will now turn to capital allocation. For a company in Kongsberg position, disciplined capital allocation is absolutely critical. We see significant growth opportunities, but we need to remain selective and focused. We need to preserve flexibility, maintain customer trust and deliver attractive shareholder returns. As we execute on our ambitions, we will generate substantial cash and how we deploy it will be a key driver for long-term value. Our capital allocation framework is built around 4 principles. The first is to maintain a solid balance sheet. The second is to invest in organic growth. The third is to provide competitive shareholder remuneration and the fourth is strategic portfolio management and also partnerships. These principles work together and guide our financial decision-making.
And let me now go through each of these 4 principles. The first principle is a solid balance sheet. And for Kongsberg, we define this as having an investment-grade rating. Kongsberg today is -- has an A- rating with a stable outlook by Nordic credit rating. And this is important for 3 main reasons. First, it is about customer confidence. Many of our customers, they enter into large and complex long-term contracts with us. They need to know that Kongsberg has the financial strength to deliver to support and sustain critical systems over many years.
Second is about financial flexibility. The markets that we are operating in can move quickly, and we need the ability to invest in capacity, technology, supply chains and people when the opportunities arise. A strong balance sheet gives us that flexibility. Third is about access to capital markets. As Kongsberg grows, our capital needs may also increase, meaning an investment-grade profile supports access to financing on attractive terms, but also across market cycles. The graph shows our net interest-bearing debt-to-EBITDA development since 2018. It illustrates that Kongsberg has maintained a strong financial position while at the same time, growing significantly.
Going forward, we will continue to prioritize financial robustness, but that does not mean that we will avoid using the balance sheet. It means we will use it carefully with a clear link to value creation and also strategic priorities. The second capital allocation priority is to invest in organic growth. And this slide focuses on investments in property, in plant and equipment. The growth that we are seeking to realize requires capacity. It requires facilities, machinery, production equipment, test capacity, logistics, digital infrastructure and also a broader industrial footprint.
As this slide shows, our PP&E investments have increased significantly from 2018. Particularly, you see the step-up from 2023 onwards. And that was when we built the Missile factory here in Kongsberg and then subsequently started building in both Australia and the U.S. This reflects the growth of the company and the need to expand capacity across several parts of the group. So far, we've been able to build capacity ahead of the curve based on the demand that we've seen, and our aim is to continue to do so going forward.
We expect to continue investing at a high level. And as an indication, we expect PP&E investments to remain around the 7% to 9% of revenues in 2026 and also 2027 before we expect to return to more normalized levels. And normalized levels for us is more in the 3 to 5 percentage range. Our responsibility is to make sure that Kongsberg has the capacity to deliver both on the current and on the future demand. At the same time, we will remain disciplined. We are investing to support profitable growth and long-term competitiveness. The second part of organic growth is investment into research and development. And this slide shows our capitalized and expensed R&D development over time.
R&D is a central pillar of Kongsberg's competitiveness. We operate in markets where technology is decisive and it's evolving rapidly and customers expect systems that are reliable, advanced but also continuously improved. That means we must not only deliver on existing programs, but also continuously upgrade and develop for what comes next. This requires sustained investment across our key technologies. Over time, we have increased our R&D, reflecting our ambition to remain on the forefront of technology and support the next phase of the growth.
At the same time, it is important to note that a significant share of our R&D is customer funded. And we have programs such as the Supersonic Strike Missile continuing to play a key role in our business model. We also see that the speed of innovation is increasing, which is likely to drive relatively more internally funded R&D going forward. The industry is moving towards increased speed of innovation with more dual-use components. R&D investments will ensure that we maintain our relevance. Overall, this is at the core of the Kongsberg model. Close cooperation with demanding customers, deep technology expertise and continuous product development. Our R&D investments are therefore not only about technology leadership, but it's a key driver of future revenues, margins and long-term strategic relevance.
The third element of organic growth is net working capital. As this slide shows, development from 2018 to 2026 has been very strong, and it has largely been driven by advance and progress payments on major contracts. This reflects the nature of our business. Advanced and progress payments are a feature of the industry, but it has been further supported by the current geopolitical environment. The recent development in net working capital has been unusually favorable and should not be seen as the new normal. Working capital in our business will fluctuate both due to seasonality, but also project timing effects will impact the levels from one period to another.
As we increase activity, invest in capacity and execute on our backlog, working capital requirements will increase. As a result, both working capital and free cash flow should be expected to fluctuate. Our focus, therefore, is to manage working capital tightly while ensuring that we still have the inventory, the supply chain capacity and project funding needed to deliver on the customer commitments. The third capital allocation principle is Cell C shareholder remuneration.
Kongsberg dividends is based on the long-term value creation. It's based on profitability, cash flow and balance sheet strength. Our ambition is to pay a stable and increasing ordinary dividend over time. The left-hand side of this slide shows the development in ordinary and special dividends from 2019 to 2025. And as you see, we have paid ordinary dividends consistently with special dividends on top of that. The priority is to maintain a sustainable dividend profile while preserving the ability to invest in growth. The right-hand side shows the total shareholder return, including share price development and dividends.
The development has been very strong, reflecting both the operational performance of the company and also the market's recognition of the opportunities that we have ahead. Included in the graph, we also see the Oslo Stock Exchange and also the Europe Defense Index. And both really illustrates the extraordinary shareholder return that Kongsberg has delivered. Our focus is long term. Shareholder remuneration must be balanced against the need to invest, maintain financial flexibility and preserve a solid balance sheet. So the principle is clear. We aim for stable or increasing ordinary dividend over time with additional distributions assessed when appropriate based on capital needs, financial position and investment opportunities.
The fourth capital allocation principle is strategic portfolio management, and we will continue to evaluate opportunities that can strengthen the group strategically, technologically and also commercially. M&A is an important tool for us to be used to realize our key targeted strategic positions. And I would like to use affordable missiles and Zone 5 as an example. Two years ago, we identified the need to complement our high-end missile portfolio with lower cost but high-volume missiles. We started planning for the internal development. But at the same time, we started a targeted M&A search to see if we could find similar capacities. We both identified and secured Zone 5, and this has allowed us to improve the time to market for both strike missiles, but also for air defense missiles. Also, this allowed us to focus our own internal development resources to focus on delivering on the backlog, delivering on new orders and also the 3SM development.
We will continue to evaluate M&A as a strategic tool, and we are open to opportunities that are a natural extension of our existing positions, adjacent areas where Kongsberg has relevant competence customer relationships, but also industrial logic. This includes technologies, capabilities or market positions that complement what we already do. We are not dependent on major acquisitions in order to deliver on our ambitions. The organic opportunity is already significant, but we are actively seeking bolt-on M&A targets. And in addition, we are, of course, monitoring and evaluating more transformational M&A opportunities. Portfolio management also means continuously assessing where Kongsberg is the best owner, where partnerships make sense and where capital can be deployed most efficiently.
Finally, I want to highlight the increasing importance of joint ventures and also partnerships. And as Kongsberg grows, partnerships become even more important. They allow us to combine capabilities, share technology, access markets, increase capacity and also strengthen our customer offerings. And we already have several important examples. These partnerships are part of how we innovate, how we scale and how we deliver. In many of our markets, no single company can do everything alone. Customers need integrated solutions, industrial cooperation, local presence and also long-term support. And partnerships, they are critical in meeting those needs.
Going forward, we expect joint ventures and partnerships to remain an important part of Kongsberg's growth model. They support innovation, they support capacity and they support access to markets and customers. So our 4 capital allocation principles are all key in order to secure long-term growth in order to realize our ambition of NOK 100 billion in 2029 and NOK 150 billion in 2033, and this will provide strong long-term shareholder return. Thank you.
Thank you, Martin. The next speaker is Kjetil Reiten Myhra, President of the Defense Systems division. Some of you may recall his presentation on our Air Defense Systems, NASAMS, during our last Capital Markets Day in 2024. And we're excited to provide you with an update of the development of NASAMS, the NASAM solutions since then, along with an overview of some of the other systems and solutions offered by our Defense Systems division. Kjetil, the floor is yours.
Thank you, Jan Erik. And it's very nice to be here today, and I'm going to talk you through some of the main aspects of Defense Systems division here in Kongsberg. It is a large division. We have a very wide and varied portfolio. So today, I will have to focus on some of our main areas, growth areas, namely ground-based air defense systems, remotely controlled weapon systems and robotics and counter UAS or anti-drone solutions. But before I dive into that, let's just have a little look at the division as a whole.
The division comprises 5 business units, all responsible for running their own profit and loss. The business units are Advanced Solutions, doing a lot of very different things, but mainly Air Surveillance, we do fire support systems and, of course, Digital Towers. Air and Coastal Defense Systems that do ground-based air defense and coastal defense. We have Naval Systems running our combat systems for our submarines and surface vessels and also our unmanned surface vessel initiatives. And then we have Land Systems with remote weapon stations, medium-caliber turrets, anti-drone or counter UAS systems and robotics. And then lastly, we have Emerging Business where our Vanguard, our standardized vessels, our uncrewed surface vessels and so on and all those initiatives are located.
So 5 separate business units and pushing forward into the market together. As I said, the division has a large portfolio. And even though it might seem quite diverse, the underlying technology is the same. A common thread across the business units is systems engineering for advanced systems for demanding environments. So we share a lot of the technology shared across the business units, even though some of the application areas seem diverse. Also, we employ artificial intelligence quite heavily, both in our development systems to increase efficiency in development, but also into our products to help the users of our systems to easily -- more easily operate the systems. But now let's dive a bit deeper into the specific areas, as I mentioned earlier.
Kongsberg is the #1 provider of remote control weapon stations or RWS, with more than 30,000 units delivered worldwide. The common remotely operated weapon station or CROWS has been in active production and use with the United States Armed Forces since the early 2000s. The station supports a wide range of guns and effectors ranging from small caliber machine guns to 40-millimeter grenade launchers and anti-tank missiles. The station is integrated on an ever-growing number of vehicles and platforms, both tracked and wheeled providing unrivaled flexibility. And you see some examples on the pictures on the slides here today.
The system fully supports integration and employment on uncrewed and unmanned robotic platforms. The weapon station is constantly evolving and expanding its capabilities, ensuring the system adapts to new and emerging threats and needs. The medium-caliber turret or MCT is a rapidly growing product line now entering full rate production in our Johnstown, Pennsylvania facility in the United States. The U.S. government have contracted more than 250 turrets to date. The 3 main programs is the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle or ACV program, the U.S. Marine Corps Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle or ARV program and then the U.S. Army Stryker vehicles to Bulgaria through foreign military sales.
The MCT or the medium caliber turret is a modular lightweight upgradable uncrewed turret. It has an unrivaled precision. It is a dual roll capable turret, meaning it can simultaneously engage ground and air targets. The U.S. Marine Corps ACV program has also added the turrets and Amphibious capabilities, allowing it to be fully submerged in water. The turret is also a natural counter UAS or anti-drone effector. It is a core capability of the recently announced Polish drone wall program, dubbed SAN. The extremely versatile lightweight and high-precision turret is highly sought after in the market, and we expect significant growth for this product line in the coming years.
Over time, we have evolved our RWS and MCT systems into very capable, cost-effective anti-drone solutions. This started long before the war in Ukraine, and we have years of experience built into the solutions already. We have been a partner to the United States Marine Corps and their Marine Air Defense Integrated System or MADIS program since the beginning. The system is based on a heavier version of the weapon station with a lightweight 30-millimeter cannon that supports airburst ammunition. The heavier weapon station also incorporates very short-range air defense missiles like the Stinger missile.
The system has been deployed with active troops in the Pacific since late 2024 and is in full rate production in our Johnstown, Pennsylvania facility. The Typhoon system based on standard RWS systems modified to support the anti-drone mission has been operational in Ukraine for some time. We work 24/7 with Ukraine's Armed Forces and industry to continuously evolve and adapt the system to optimize effectiveness. It has proven to be very effective against drones and have even successfully engaged cruise missiles.
Earlier this year, Together with Polish industry partners, PGZ and APS, Kongsberg was contracted for the first tranche of the Polish drone wall program. The program has a very aggressive schedule to ensure capability is provided to the Polish Armed Forces quickly. The program is also part of the European Union's SAFE program, enabling other nations to join easily. The drone threat is evolving at a high pace, and the defense systems must be versatile and flexible to evolve with the threats. This is at the core of our RWS and MCT solutions as they are designed for continuous evolution.
The number of sensors and effectors that have been integrated is long and varied and is a testament to its adaptability and open architecture. This includes new and emerging effectors such as interceptor drones, electronic warfare systems, lasers and so on. NOMADs is a new air defense system designed to operate integrated with maneuver forces, such as Army cavalry formations, providing air cover. The system is a short-range air defense or SHORAD system capable of autonomous operation and fully integrated in a layer air defense architecture. The SHORAD fire unit is a platform-agnostic and can be mounted on any capable vehicle, be it tracked or wheeled.
In Norway and the Netherlands, the SHORAD fire unit is mounted on the ACSV tracked vehicle providing extreme mobility, again, as you can see on some of the pictures on the side there. The Norwegian configuration uses the Iris-T air defense missile, while the Dutch configuration uses the AIM-9X air defense missile. Each vehicle constitute a complete fire unit with sensors, command and control, communications, launchers and effectors, but fire units can also be controlled from other units on the network. The system integrates seamlessly into integrated air and missile defense architecture, both higher echelon systems such as NASAMS and peer or subordinate units such as anti-drone or counter UAS systems and very short-range air defense systems.
NASAMS is the selected medium-range air defense system of 18 nations. It is the most sold air defense system of its class, and we experienced significant and growing interest worldwide. We are also seeing existing NASAMS users coming back for upgrades and additional equipment. NASAMS is combat proven. In Ukraine, the system has a significant number of successful combat intercepts with unrivaled effectiveness. It is proven to be highly effective. The AMRAAM and AIM-9X effectors are widely used in Western armed forces. The flexibility of the NASAMS effectors ensures that any stockpile any nation might have can be used on their fighter aircraft and on NASAMS simultaneously. So any stockpile you have, you can actually make use of directly.
NASAMS is an open and flexible system and has already integrated other effectors such as air defense guns, low-cost interceptors, lasers, high-power microwave and interceptor drones. There are decades of knowledge, lessons learned and optimizations built into the system that cannot be copied or emulated. And NASAMS is always evolving through continuous engineering. Now as you have seen in recent conflicts, the threats nations must handle are numerous, ranging from advanced ballistic and cruise missiles through traditional air breathing targets to mass-produced cheap drones.
Full spectrum Air Defense offers the potential to address multiple threats through an integrated system architecture, thereby streamlining operations and increasing the ability to efficiently handle complex scenarios. Solving this problem with different systems for each task is not only expensive to purchase, but also to use and maintain as the personnel, training, maintenance and sustainment requirements increase manyfold. NASAMS has been designed from the start to require very low manning and operational costs. Developing the capability into the ATBM or anti-tactical ballistic missile domain is a natural next step.
Throughout the history of NASAMS, Kongsberg has successfully integrated a wide range of sensors and effectors and ATBM components can be integrated with little effort due to the system's open, modular and highly flexible architecture. AI is actively used to provide improved decision support in areas such as the evaluation and weapon allocation, significantly reducing reaction times and operator workloads.
The Full Spectrum Air Defense solution, although an integrated air and missile defense solution by itself carries forward the openness of the system to integrate closely and in real time with other systems into larger integrated air and missile defense networks. The Vanguard system is centered around how crewed vessels can operate and support uncrewed vessels or uncrewed systems, augmenting the capability of the host vessels. A key goal of the design is to break the cost curve and increase affordability by being as civilian as possible and only as military as necessary. Modern weapons have ranges and capabilities forcing crewed platforms to operate at distance.
Vanguard vessels can be equipped with long-range strike modules when required, bringing significant firepower to the theater. This provides the -- this drives the accelerating trend towards a reality where combat is primarily executed by uncrewed systems, either remote controlled or autonomous in all domains, be it air, surface or subsurface. At the heart of the design is the understanding that the system will consist of a range of platforms, both crewed and uncrewed requiring manned, unmanned teaming or MUM-T to be a core capability.
The Norwegian standardized vessel program consists of up to 28 vessels, 10 larger ocean-going vessels and 18 smaller coastal vessels. Kongsberg together with SALT Ship Design has been awarded the design contract for this vessel program. And we will develop the design of these vessels in close cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Navy. Further, together with Adaptive Marine Solutions in Canada, Kongsberg and SALT Ship Design has also been awarded a design contract for the Canadian Coast Guard for their mid-shore multi-mission vessels, of which they intend to procure up to 6 vessels. We see a growing interest in standardized vessels and cheaper and military combat vessels and the list of interested nations and navies are growing day by day.
So with that, I would like to conclude my walk-through of the highlights from the Defense Systems division. Thank you.
Thank you, Kjetil. We will now have a short break and reconvene and continue at 10:40 sharp. The webcast will be on break during that part of the program. Thank you.
[Break]
The next speaker is Øyvind Kolset, President of the Missiles and Aerostructures division. He has been with Kongsberg for 28 years and has been the President for the Missiles and Aerostructures division for the last 9 years. We are excited to have him present more about what the Missiles Aerostructures division is doing and how the division has expanded capacity during the recent years and continue to do so. Øyvind, the stage is yours.
Thank you, everyone. Today, I'll walk you through our missile portfolio and also the market position within Strike missiles. But first, let me briefly introduce the division. We consist of 4 business units, each with profit and loss responsibility and a distinct product portfolio. Beyond missiles, we are a key supplier of advanced aerostructures, delivering panels and components for the F-35 as well as building a growing maintenance, repair and overhaul business, now expanding beyond Norway into international markets.
Today, however, I will talk exclusively on the missile portfolio. We believe we offer the most advanced and modern range of maritime strike missiles available. We are already firmly established with a broad and growing set of Tier 1 customers in America, Europe and in the Pacific. So far, 15 nations has selected our strike missiles. We are in a significant replacement cycle. Thousands of legacy maritime strike missiles approaches end of life. This creates a substantial and sustained demand where the naval strike missile has clearly established its leading solution for capturing those opportunities.
The NSM is the most advanced maritime strike missile currently available. Its combination of stealth design, precision guidance, autonomous target recognition and high survivability delivers a real level of capability that sets it apart in the market. That is what positions the NSM as a fifth generation strike missile, a capability that cannot be replicated in short term. We see a strong momentum across multiple key markets with active sales campaigns. At the same time, our existing customer base represents a significant source of repeat business as nation continue to build out their inventory, driving follow-on orders and long-term revenue.
Another important driver is life cycle value. NSM is not a static system. It's continuously evolving through ongoing development. New functions and enhanced capabilities are introduced over time, ensuring product remains high end while also creating opportunities for upgrades and sustained customer engagements. Finally, we are expanding the addressable market through platform integration. The NSM has been designed for ease of integration, and we are actively working with platform providers to enable deployment across a wider range of systems. This includes expansion into the underwater domain with a sublaunched version of the NSM, the NSM SL for integration on submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles, which aligns with Kongsberg's broader strategic position in advanced underwater capabilities.
One area we see strong potential is land-based maritime strike. The NSM Coastal Defense System represent a cost-efficient solution for protecting coastlines against maritime threats. From a value proposition perspective, this is important as it offers customers significantly lower cost alternative to traditional naval assets, while still delivering credible deterrence through mobility and distributed units. This value proposition has already been validated in the market. The system has been selected by U.S. Marine Corps as part of the Nemesis program, a highly mobile ground-based capability designed to engage enemy vessels from both coastal and inland position.
The Nemesis also demonstrates commercial strength, speed of deployment and ease of integration. From initial concept to full live firing demonstration of the whole system took less than 21 months. That is a strong indicator of both the missile systems maturity and our ability to rapidly convert customer requirements into operational capability. From a business model perspective, the NSM Coastal Defense is highly flexible. We can deliver a complete system integrated with command and control vehicles and sensors. Alternatively, we can provide the missile system stand-alone for integration into existing customer architecture as we have demonstrated with the U.S. Marine Corps.
This flexibility expands our addressable market and allows us to participate in both full system procurements and incremental upgrades. We believe this unique combination of high performance and affordability will drive increasing market interest.
The Joint Strike Missile, JSM, is the air-launched counterpart of the NSM, and it represents another growth platform for us. It's uniquely engineered to fit inside the internal bomb bay of the F-35, and it remains the only powered strike missile in its class with that capability. This is a key competitive advantage. It directly aligns the missile with the core operational requirements for the F-35 program, one of the largest and most long-term defense programs globally. As a result, JSM is positioned inside a structurally growing market. The combination of the missiles range with the F-35 Stealth creates a high-value capability, both for maritime strike and advanced land targets.
Importantly, the development risk is now behind us. The missile is fully developed and final integration on F-35 is expected to be completed later this year, then transitioning into full rate production and deliveries. Even though we're not integrated fully, all the test has been done yet, we do see a strong market validation. 5 F-35 nation has already selected the JSM. It's U.S., it's Germany, it's Japan, it's Australia and Norway. This creates both near-term revenue and long-term growth potential. We expect additional F-35 partner nations to select them out over time, combined with follow-on orders as existing customer build depth in their magazines.
This week's additional order from U.S. Air Force valued at USD 270 million is a clear example of that repeat business dynamic. Another example is Germany's follow-on order of NOK 3.5 billion just 3 weeks ago. The JSM is designed with scalability in mind. While it's optimized for internal carriage, it could also be carried externally, allowing customers to increase payloads when required. This enhances its operational flexibility and broadens the addressable market.
Beyond the F-35, we are actively working on integration opportunities across multiple platforms, including a growing interest for the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft as well as other fixed wing and unmanned systems. This multi-platform strategy is important as it unlocks revenue streams over time. Finally, the JSM follows the same model as the NSM, a continuously evolving product. Ongoing development ensures that the missile remains effective against emerging threats while also supporting upgrades and life cycle revenue opportunities across an expanding user base.
So in parallel with this, we are expanding our portfolio. One of the direction is within the Supersonic domain. The 3SM is the way we are doing that. It's being developed now with full funding from Norway and Germany with significantly reduced -- that significantly reduces financial risk while it's positioning us for long-term growth in another high-end segment of the market. We expect this missile to be ready for deployment in the mid-2030s, and it will for us, represent a step change in capability addressing advanced maritime and land targets at long ranges in highly contested environments.
And important, this one does not replace NSM or JSM. It complements our existing portfolio. The NSM and JSM will continue to serve the subsonic mission profiles, while the 3SM expands our offering into a new segment. From a technology perspective, 3SM will incorporate several new technologies, including a new engine technology that delivers higher speed and longer range relative to size and weight while still supporting precise time on target by variable throttle control for coordinated strike operations. In addition, the missile will feature a highly advanced sensor suite, combining multiple sensing technologies with intelligent data fusion, further strengthening its effectiveness in complex threat environments.
Another key factor for 3SM is platform comparability. It's planned for integration in the Mark 41 vertical launch system, which is already deployed on more than 200 naval vessels globally. This provides a strong foundation for future potential. Even though it's early in the development phase, we are already seeing interest from allied nations, reflecting the relevance of this capability. At the same time, we do expect competition from both U.S. and European players in this segment, and we are positioning ourselves accordingly.
Also expanding our portfolio in other direction. That is with the affordable mass. And for us, the term affordable mass does not only mean low cost. Affordable mass is more about the ability to scale production and deliver capabilities that is operationally relevant in volumes. That requires both design for manufacturing and the performance that remains effective in high-volume deployment scenarios. As Erik stated earlier, we entered this segment through the acquisition of Zone 5 Technologies. They are the recognized leader in affordable mass producible munitions with a product portfolio that includes counter UAS and cruise missiles.
This includes the Rusty Dagger that's an air launched strike missile optimized for mass production with the ground launched variant in the road map. Complementing is White Spike, it's a drone interceptor built on the same production philosophy engineered to deliver cost-efficient response with a price point that aligns with the threat it's designed to counter. The portfolio is further strengthened by the Paladin, an advanced unmanned aircraft system that serves as a multi-mission autonomous platform. This acquisition adds a distinct and complementary capability to our portfolio.
Zone 5 brings proven expertise in rapid development, scalable production and cost-effective missile design. From an investment perspective, this creates several important advantages. First, it expands our addressable market into a high-growth segment driven by evolving operational concepts and increasing demand for large volumes. Secondly, it strengthens our positions in the U.S. market and including access to programs and opportunities in U.S. that requires a domestic footprint. Zone 5 has already established a strong traction with contract awards and participation in key U.S. programs, including the U.S. Air Force family of affordable mass missile initiatives as well as related export efforts.
Going forward, we see clear opportunities to scale this business. Zone 5 will remain a hub for innovation and development of disruptive products, while Kongsberg will leverage our industrial capabilities and global market access to drive international growth. This includes establishing production capacity outside the U.S. to serve customers in Europe and in the Pacific, further supporting scalability and market reach. We also see a strong portfolio synergy. By combining Kongsberg's high-performance missile systems with Zone 5's high-volume, cost-efficient solutions in the same operations, we are positioned to offer a broader and more flexible set of capabilities across both strike and air defense.
Our #1 priority will always be delivering on our backlog. Our reputation and ultimately, our long-term value creation depends on meeting our commitments consistently every time. To support this, we began expanding our missile production facility capacity several years ago. A key milestone was the opening of the Nexus facility in June 2024. That was a greenfield factory purpose-built for efficient, high-volume series production of missiles. And we are immensely proud of the speed and the quality of our Nexus execution. Within just 3 months of opening an empty building, the first missile came out of the Nexus production line. Since then, we have achieved a highly successful ramp-up, both accelerating faster than originally planned and exceeding our initial stages.
So I'm allowed to show you the growth, not by numbers, but you see the -- compared to -- this is -- this slide shows from 1970 our missile production until the anticipated 2030. So as shown here, the scale-up is significant. For us, this is a step change compared to historical production levels. But it demonstrates our ability to scale and industrialize in line with the growing market. And for us, this ramp-up is ongoing, and our execution so far gives us confidence in our ability to support further growth.
Nexus now serves as a proven foundation for international expansion. We are in process of establishing additional missile production facilities in Australia and U.S. These will be based on the scaled version of Nexus, the same concept and expected to become operational in 2028, further increasing capacity and strengthening our proximity to key markets. In parallel, we are strengthening the resilience in our supply chain that is required to fill all this factory with parts. This includes securing flow of critical components across all production sites as well as introducing local suppliers to improve robustness and simplify logistics.
So as a summary, across Kongsberg's Strike Missile portfolio, we are building a set of complementary growth platform. The NSM combines leading position in the large replacement market with clear competitive advantages and a business model that supports both new sales and long-term recurring revenue, making it a driver for future growth. The JSM adds a unique competitive position tied to the global F-35 program. With a growing installed base of high-end platforms, it provides a strong and durable contribution to long-term value creation.
In parallel, we are expanding our portfolio. With the 3SM, we are entering into the supersonic segment, broadening our addressable market with a next-generation capability developed with strong government backing and through Zone 5 technologies and our entry into the affordable mass domain, we are adding a scalable, high-growth component that really strengthens our competitive position in an emerging market. Taken together, this portfolio positions us for sustained growth across multiple segments, but none of this matters without execution.
Our #1 priority is clear: deliver on our backlog. To support that, we have built and continue to build the industrial platform required to scale production globally. Because as I stated earlier, and I cannot emphasize this enough, our reputation and ultimately, our long-term value creation depends on meeting our commitments toward the customers and toward our shareholders consistently every single time. Thank you.
Thank you, Øyvind. The next speaker is Camilla Kiss, President of the Discovery division. Camilla heads the division that covers what we refer to as the 2 new frontiers, underwater and Space. She took on the role as President for Discovery on January 1 and holds experience from multiple roles across the company. We look forward to hear Camilla -- hear what Camilla has to present about Kongsberg's systems and solutions in the underwater and space domains.
Well, thank you, Jan Erik. And ladies and gentlemen, now last but not least, allow me to introduce you to the third division, the Discovery division, which is the Civil and Dual-use division in Kongsberg. Discovery delivers technology, product and solution from the deepest sea to the space, 2 of the most demanding frontiers within technology and environment. And in these domains, Kongsberg has over the year, built a very strong position, and we see significant opportunities for further growth going forward. One of the strongest market drivers in the space domain today is the need for sovereign constellations across Europe. We have capabilities in Kongsberg across the full space value chain from EU's largest manufacturer of small satellites to the launch access through Andøya and the world-leading global reach through the ground stations through Kongsberg Satellite Services or KSAT.
In the ocean, both on the surface and in deep sea, autonomous systems such as HUGIN is beginning to have the same transformative effect as aerial drones have had in the air. The relevance of this technology is higher than ever, and we have a broad set of products and system offerings within this domain. We have a large portfolio in Discovery far beyond what I will be able to cover here today. But the combination of Kongsberg's defense domain knowledge and market access together with our world-leading technologies is, in many ways, in fact, a perfect match. And I will share with you some of Kongsberg's key priorities and how we will secure our position within the 2 frontiers space and underwater.
As the geopolitical landscape becomes more demanding, security challenges is rising fast. This is especially visible in the Arctic and in the Indo-Pacific, where strategic competition is intensifying and increasingly playing out at sea. And these are vast remote and contested areas. They're difficult to monitor, they're difficult to control, and they're critical both from an operational and a strategic perspective. And this is why we see nations investing more in maritime domain awareness, persistent surveillance and the ability to operate effectively in contested environments.
Space for Defense is a strategic initiative. It's focused on delivering critical capabilities such as secure communication, surveillance and missile detection. And with our strong position across the space value chain, Kongsberg is well positioned to capture future growth in space market with existing dual-use technology also in this domain. The space market is currently undergoing a fundamental transition from a niche domain dominated by few large and complex satellites in geostationary orbit to distributed scalable infrastructure based on constellations of small satellites in low earth orbit. And driven by technological advances and industrialization, the market is growing towards smaller, more affordable satellites deployed in large constellations, and that enables a higher revisit rate, lower latency and more resilient services.
This shift is dramatically reducing the cost per capability, opening the market to new players and new use cases, and it is accelerating innovation. At the same time, space is becoming critical infrastructure, supporting communication, navigation, security and surveillance, increasingly essential, both for civil society and for defense purposes. So in sum, the space is transitioning from a high-cost niche market to a scaled mission-critical domain, where affordability, responsiveness and data availability drive both the demand but also the investments.
At sea, by using sound in water for precise underwater operation, Discovery has a world-leading position in the underwater segment. Our autonomous underwater system, HUGIN, will grow even more advanced, even more specialized and mission-ready, and I will come back to that a bit later in my presentation. Our strength is the combination of deep domain knowledge and rapid innovation. Built on decades of investment in dual-use development, we can adapt proven already proven technologies quickly and capture growth both in the defense and in the civilian markets. And that positions us well both for the sustainability trend and for the security trend, 2 trends that increasingly goes hand in hand.
The implication is that the same core technology can serve both the civilian and the defense markets. And let me show you a few practical examples of what that actually looks like. The first example on your left here is how we are applying the technology from our fishery sonars to develop and deliver our naval sonars. It's based on our hydroacoustic expertise, which is sound in water. As part of the Kongsberg scope, we are supplying different naval sonars to the German, Norwegian submarine program.
Moving over to HUGIN. You see that more than 30 years development illustrates how HUGIN has expanded from civilian tasks such as pipeline inspection to mine detection and more advanced defense operations today. Another example comes from dynamic positioning, where technology developed for precise vessel positioning has been adapted for defense use. Combined with defense domain knowledge, it has enabled us to develop a drone detection radar that can detect, identify and track threats from platforms such as remote weapon stations and uncrewed surface vessels.
Finally, space is evolving rapidly with growing emphasis on sovereign capability. Satellites and technology, once used mainly for weather forecasting and environmental monitoring are now increasingly supporting mission-critical data needs. And AI is embedded across all of the products that you see behind me today. This is to strengthen the navigation, identification, observation, mapping and protection. What this means for us is that demand is increasingly moving towards capabilities where we already have a strong position. One of the strongest examples of this model is the HUGIN, where long-term technology development has created a platform that is highly relevant for defense. And operating underwater is highly challenging. Highly challenging. It's difficult to see underwater. It's difficult to navigate underwater.
Over decades, we have built world-leading undersea technology in sensors, navigation, autonomy, communication and in energy systems. And that foundation has enabled us to develop HUGIN into a platform that fits the defense market very well. And it is the strong knowledge to the technology and the combination of these technologies into the platform that really makes HUGIN unique. Demand for autonomous underwater vehicle is growing strongly, and HUGIN is a key platform in our undersea warfare offering. which can combine autonomous underwater and surface vehicles with other sensors, effectors and command and control capabilities to deliver a more integrated operational concept.
We've also developed complementary capabilities such as seabed change detection, which is important for both mine hunting and protection of critical infrastructure. And we use AI-based automatic target recognition to improve detection, classification and a safer disposal of unexploded ordinance. Combined, this gives Discovery a strong position in the defense market. Civilian market will remain important for us, both as a source of continued business and as a driver of further technology development. But we still expect the defense to be the main growth driver in the undersea domain over time. And a key point is that this is not just a strong position for today. It is a scalable platform for future growth and future innovation.
The Kongsberg HUGIN family covers the full spectrum of autonomous underwater operations from rapid coastal missions to deep water and long endurance operations. The systems are in use by navies across 5 NATO countries today. And the system is recognized internationally as a leading mine hunting system in challenging waters. Our position in the undersea defense is built on deep domain knowledge, strong technology foundation and a growing demand. That enables us to innovate faster and adapt proven technologies to new defense needs and expand HUGIN into a broader mission role from payload integration and advanced mission profiles to future weapon-related concepts such as sub-launched NSM, as Øyvind mentioned earlier as well.
And you can see on the slide behind me and see 2 future HUGIN models already in concept phase and development. Undersea is a highly advanced field with significant barriers to entry, and we have a world-leading position today. So far, I've focused on the undersea. Let me now turn to the second frontier, where we see a similar attractive strategic position in space and especially within space for defense. The evolving geopolitical landscape is driving nations to prioritize sovereign capabilities in critical domains and space is becoming an increasingly important domain for defense and for intelligence.
Modern forces rely on space to communicate, observe, understand and respond while adversaries increasingly target these dependencies. Advancer into smaller satellites, standardized platforms and the growing reliability of commercial off-the-shelf technologies have lowered barriers to entry and accelerated deployment time lines, enabling government and militaries to rapidly feel and scale space-based capabilities. Space for defense is all about turning space-based data and connectivity into an operational advantage. In practice, that means secure connectivity and communication combined with ISR or intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance to improve situation awareness, decision-making and targeting.
These are the capabilities that matter most today. As more satellites are deployed and data becomes available with lower latency, these capabilities will continue to expand. The same technological backbone that supports connectivity, communication and ISR today can, over time, also enable more advanced defense applications such as missile early warning. Looking ahead, responsive space will become increasingly important. And by responsive space, I mean the ability to deploy, to adapt and restore the space capabilities quickly as needs changes. This will be critical for making space systems more agile and resilient. And the global space economy is growing.
It was estimated at around $630 billion in 2023, and estimates indicate that it can grow to $1.8 trillion in 2035. At the same time, government and institutions across key markets are increasing investments in sovereign and defense-related space capabilities. One example is Germany's Defense Minister, Pistorius, who has announced a spending of EUR 35 billion in space-related defense capabilities by 2030. Kongsberg has already partnered with OHB, Helsing and Hensoldt and are positioning for the German program. So the market opportunities are attractive, no doubt about that. And Kongsberg has built a strong position across the full space value chain. We are world leading in small satellites production in Europe with more than 300 satellites in our backlog. We produce and integrate highly advanced sensors combined with core space technologies. And we have advanced manufacturing capabilities here in Kongsberg, in Horten and in Vilnius.
Kongsberg has launched access through our ownership in Andøya Spaceport and real-time data reception through KSAT's global ground system -- ground station system. Finally, the combination of fusion of multi-sensor streams capabilities and domain knowledge enable us to deliver actionable intelligence to the user interface. And as with the undersea domain, we see continued promising opportunities in the civilian market, although the major growth is expected to come from the defense market.
So in space, this combination of technology, industrial capability and operational infrastructure is our strong competitive advantage. It gives us a strong foundation to support defense customers with low latency, sovereignty and mission relevant space capabilities. In Kongsberg, our defense domain knowledge is strong. And with decades of experience in the space industry, we have also built a strong ecosystem of partners and expertise. By bringing together satellite production, data reception, launch access and domain knowledge, we're well positioned to become a leading European partner within space for defense. And that rounds off the 2 strategic frontiers under sea and space. Thank you.
Thank you, Camilla. We're now about to start the Q&A session of today's program. So -- and I would like to welcome all of the speakers back on to the stage.
To kick off the Q&A session, I will begin with an opening question. We will then turn to questions from the audience present here today, followed by questions submitted by participants joining us through the webcast. So thank you. And let's begin. Eirik, how ambitious would you consider these ambitions to be?
Well, I think I consider it to be a high ambition. But also I would like to mention that it's achievable and realistic in the way we have established this ambition. If we look at how we have come to these numbers, well, we have the order backlog. And then we also have different sources how we can look at what the revenue will look like, and we look at budgets in different countries. We are in direct contact with customers, governments to see what the future looks like.
So putting this together, that's where we have the NOK 100 billion and NOK 150 billion numbers as ambition. If I could have a couple of comments on the margin. I think we mentioned above 16%. I think we look at this as a not a ceiling, it's more a floor. This will vary over quarters. That is what we have experienced earlier as well. But I think when we do scaling of our production, for instance, we can take out cost and be more efficient. So scaling and producing more of the same is good when it comes to margins. So that's clear.
At the same time, we heard several times today mentioning that deliver on our commitments is the most important thing we can do. If you have a happy customer, they will order more. So we have to be successful in investing and do the ramp-up. At the same time, to stay relevant in the future, we have to do investments. We have to do -- develop new features or new things. So this is a balancing act we are doing. And that's why we have put up this ambition level when it comes to the margin level.
And I think maybe, Martin, you could explain a little bit how this contributes to the margin, the way we look at it.
Yes. So I think you said it well. If we were to compare it with an EBITDA level, our depreciation and amortization is at least for the last 12 months, around the 4 percentage level.
Very good. Thank you. And so Renate Tegdal will walk around with a microphone and please introduce who you are and who you represent before asking the question. So we have a question on the first row here.
2. Question Answer
Fabian Jørgensen from Pareto Securities. On the margin again, I think for the last 3 quarters, the EBITDA margins have been above 20%. And you talked about scale a lot on the Q1 report. And now basically, the low end at least target implies no scale. And if you would then assume that you have now roughly NOK 8 billion, NOK 8.5 billion, something like that in personnel costs, this would imply that you would either hire 30,000 more people by 2033, alternatively that your contribution margin, which is roughly 60% now is coming significantly down. So what do you base the low end on? It seems very low to me.
Well, I think Martin could go. We are not planning to have 30,000...
New employees...
Immediately.
Yes. So if you look at our historical margin levels, as I showed in one of the slides, it has close to doubled over the last 10 years. And it is now very high if you also compare it with the industry in general. So I think the -- what we have delivered, so 15.8% is what we have on the last 12 months basis is a good improvement, and it has increased a lot. When it comes to the future, I think Eirik covered it quite well. It is very much dependent on what type of contracts we have, the production level, are we producing what we have produced before? Are we doing newer things? How much are we investing? What type of investments are we doing in R&D and also customer financed projects.
All right. Just one more. On the full spectrum air defense, there's a significant undersupply of antiballistic missiles in the market. We know that Norway now has moved up their investment decision on the long-range air defense to 2027, which opens up for the full-spectrum air defense.
And we also know that Ukraine and you guys and some others are jointly developing a new potential product on antiballistic capabilities. With the bottleneck mainly being on the missile side, to my understanding in interceptor production, how will you get around that issue even when you can produce the system?
So I think to -- you're absolutely correct that the pressure point on long-range ATBM, air defense and full-spectrum air defense is actually on the interceptor side on the missile side. So we are working actively with the current suppliers. Of course, we are partnering with some of the key suppliers on this. They are working very actively to increase their production levels and production rates. But of course, we're also then working alternatively with others to also develop new capabilities and new missiles that can come quickly into the market. So this is a development process that we are putting forward, and we're working with multiples. So we're not just single on one path forward. We actually have multiple paths already underway.
Hans Erik Jacobsen, Arctic Securities. You announced the acquisition of Zone 5 today, although it has been planned for a long time. I just wonder, have you included that in your revenue guidance going forward? And regardless of that, could you give us some guidance on what kind of revenues you are looking for in '29 and '33, respectively? Also on Vanguard, is that project included in the revenue guidance?
Maybe.
I can start. So first of all, on the Zone 5 acquisition, we have -- I mean, I think Øyvind covered it very well, a strong belief in the company and what it can add our capabilities for Kongsberg. We -- when we also talk about our ambition levels of 2029 and 2033, we said that this includes type of bolt-on acquisitions that fits very well with what we are doing. So the Zone 5 as an example, is another way of realizing our strategic ambition. I mean, we could do it ourselves or we could buy that capacity. So as such, yes, Zone 5 is included in 2029 and 2033 ambition. When it comes to Vanguard, maybe you want to. Yes, comment on that.
I think -- well, let's take a few steps back on Vanguard with the standardized vessel program in Norway, we start there. First of all, I think it's very good that Norway has started the program and it is part of the long-term plan. How it's phased into the operational settings, we still are awaiting how that will be laid out. So -- but we, as Kongsberg together with SALT, we won the design contract, which is very good. That puts us in a very good position for developing the design that can be utilized.
And also just mentioned that we see a very good interest from international customers as well related to this standardized vessel program. At the same time, as we do the design, the customer or the Norwegian government, they are in the planning phase how to procure the system or systems. Our expectations or what we think is that this will be done in batches. So that, yes, we do have numbers in our '29 and '33 forecast or ambitions.
Lorenzo from Bank of America. So I have 3 questions. First, on Air Defense. So how do you think NASAMS compete against the SAMP/T and the Patriots? How replaceable do you think are Patriots in Europe at the moment? And Also, this concept of full spectrum air defense. This has been something also that the likes of Leonardo and Thales are trying to do, for example, Thales' SkyView, how does it compare to their offering?
Then on missiles, you mentioned some critical components in the supply chain. What would those be exactly? Finally, could you give a bit more color on the orders or growth opportunity for HUGINS?
Sure. So let's start with the air defense. I'm going to try to remember all your questions. Initially, your first question is about whether or how NASAMS compare to SAMP/T or Patriot. So NASAMS is what we typically call today is a medium-range air defense system. So it operates in between a short-range air defense systems and a long-range air defense system. So Patriot and SAMP/T are long-range air defense systems and or ATBM systems. So it's when NASAMS grows into the full spectrum air defense that it will actually then also be a system on the level of Patriot and SAMP/T against the ATBM threats.
If you look at the other way, so if you look at the lesser targets, so like drones or something like that, of course, using or NASAMS compares very well because it's a much, much cheaper effector than what you have in the bigger systems. And I will also say the advantage with NASAMS compared to most other systems is its capability to take down cruise missiles. It's a very, very different scenario, and it's something that NASAMS is really, really optimized to handle where we typically get a missile with very, very short reaction times, flying close to the ground, which is a very specialized defense capability. Next question was -- I'm trying to remember all the questions.
But maybe I could just add that what Kjetil described earlier today is that NASAMS is adaptable to different effectors and radars. So we have already integrated the lower end with the counter UAS. and SHORAD systems with different missiles. That is -- so everything is then controlled from NASAMS, both for medium, short range and counter UAS. So the last step is to add the anti-TBM capacity. And that's where we think we have a proven system that has done similar things before and that we can easily in these terms, add that type of capability into the NASAMS system.
I think maybe...
So on the full spectrum air defense comparison against Thales SkyView, for example, or Leonardo Michelangelo?
Yes. So on full spectrum actually more compared to the actual systems like SAMP/T, which is a full -- or that's the high-end piece of it. And then I think from the SkyView of what they're doing, where they're also working to collaborate the same. I think we believe that, again, NASAMS is very, very good and it's the best in its class. And I think we have an ability to do a very, very good long-range ATBM solution with NASAMS.
And I think part of our benefits are combat proven, effectiveness is proven, low manning, low operational cost, all this we will also then bring into this full spectrum of defense that some of the other systems might be more struggling with.
And maybe add that we have a customer base of 18 countries. They all want that type of capacity.
Okay. Then I had asked about some raw material -- critical materials for -- in the missile supply chain that you had mentioned.
Yes. So I think in general, I mean, I want to be careful to go into the detailed supply chain issues of missile vendors. But I think in general, it is a mismatch with the current capacity to produce new missiles. So it takes some time to scale that up. There's a lot of scale-up efforts ongoing, both in Europe, the U.S. and other countries. But in general, there -- the need that we have seen for interceptors is outpacing the current production capacity.
But did you relate -- the question was related to what I said about critical components? Yes. Okay. Yes. Well, in principle, all the components in the missile is critical as you don't carry more than you need to do. Anyway, the thing we see as critical is where we have single source suppliers. We try to build as much resilience as we can with multiple sources. But of course, there will always be some critical components where we have sole source.
Typically, it's engines, it's explosives and also, it might be some electronic components. However, I think we have a really good dialogue with our suppliers. We are sharing our forecast with them. So they are also able to build ahead and plan for their investments to meet our required volumes so we can fill the factories with parts. So this is a kind of continuous dialogue we have with our single-source suppliers.
Would it be possible to have more color on the opportunity, some numbers maybe?
Well, I think we -- the HUGIN has been sold both in the civilian market and in defense market for many, many years. We have seen a growth over recent years to a larger portion of that being within defense. And as mentioned, I think we will continue to grow our sale of HUGIN, both in the civilian market and in the defense market, but we do expect a significant growth in the defense market.
And we have, as I showed, a broad range of vehicles covering the full spectrum of the HUGIN family, as we call it today, from the smaller more shallow water purpose-built as well to the more long-range deep water vehicles. And as mentioned, we are also developing new vehicles with new functionality. So we see a significant growth going forward in that domain.
Magnus Rasmussen, SEB. Just one question on long-range air defense or including that in full range. Can you elaborate a bit on sort of where are you in terms of how soon can you deliver an order or have something ready for customers that could potentially be a contract?
Are we talking in a couple of years or in 5 years? And also to what extent are you dependent on what the Norwegian government decides to do? Is this a project that we can see also if they decide to not procure it or procure it from someone else?
Yes, I think I can start. But I think in general, of course, we are always seeking to work together with Norway as one of our prime partners. But in general, the solution as such doesn't entirely depend on that. It can still be very viable with other partners and close customers that we have. I think from a time line perspective, it is basically driven by at the point where orders come in. And in general, I think we have very, very good control of supply chains and so on on this. We know what we need to do. There is no development as such needed. It's integration only so we can do that in parallel while systems are actually being produced.
So it shouldn't be any different time line from ordering one of the other systems mentioned here today or getting it based on our NASAMS and Full Spectrum Air Defense solutions, which should be the same time line. So we will be able to deliver just as quickly as we can procure any similar or competing system.
Okay. We have a question from the web. And the first one is from Christophe Menard in Deutsche Bank. What is the pipeline of opportunity that you have based these targets on?
It's what we have based our ambition is what I referred to that we have what we -- what's visible today is what we have in the order backlog. But we also have a pipeline of opportunities that we are creating constantly. But this is a dialogue where we talk to other customers and countries how they look into the future in order for us to complement to see what potentially could be put into order backlog going forward. So I think that's kind of the way we work to put up the ambition for revenue in 2029 and also in 2033.
And then for investment grade, what is the maximum net debt to EBITDA needed for Kongsberg to remain investment grade?
Yes. So today, it's the Nordic credit rating that has an A- rating for us. And they have stated that the net debt to EBITDA in the range of 2.5 to 3x over the longer term should be a viable criteria. But of course, this is also dependent on the use of proceeds and why you need that type of leverage.
Thank you. And what is the share of revenue from Ukraine? And how does this -- how do you see this changing to 2029 and 2030?
Say that around 3% to 5% of our revenue is for Ukraine. So it's important to note that what we are delivering if it's air defense systems, these are batteries, so to say, that you put out in Ukraine and you're using, of course, interceptors, et cetera. Those interceptors are not coming from us. So we are not as vulnerable or dependent on what ammunition, et cetera, like some of the other defense players.
It's more driven by the area that you protect more than the consumption. The last question from Christophe Menard in Deutsche Bank is, can you provide an indication of what percentage points you aim to gain through efficiency and scale impact by 2029? Any color on how much these factors can contribute to margin improvement is helpful.
Yes. No, I think we'll go back to what we said earlier when it comes to how our margins will develop. It is a combination of scale effects and project mix, et cetera. So we will not communicate any specific targets when it comes to each of those components.
One more from...
Okay. Sindre Soerbye from Arctic Asset Management. Just on the space side, if you look beyond KSAT, which has grown tremendously for a number of years, how should we think about growth? Will it be kind of growing from a small revenue base in a very defined niche related to, let's say, based on sovereign security and small sets covering the northern areas?
Or are you going, let's say, more head on to the established players? Because I mean, you got a lot of companies based in France, Italy, Spain, kind of merging their activities and surely, the Germans want their own industry to get a lot of their spending and you're teaming up with Germans. So would it be more of an alliance joint venture model? Or would it be kind of a Kongsberg-based model?
No, it's a good question. And we see in the sort of new space or the LEO space domain, space for defense, the market is huge, and there's a lot of capabilities that are required. And we see that partnering with other large players as well and positioning for that is a very good way forward.
So as we announced last year, we are planning on establishing a joint venture in Germany and building up capacity in Germany. And we can both supply on a stand-alone basis, but also partnering wherever that is fit for purpose. It will often the whole value chain is large, and we have capabilities in all parts of that value chain. But together, we're much stronger and better positioned for many of these large programs.
Yes. Just a follow-up. Would you have kind of -- I guess you're not going head on to compete with Starlink, but would you have some kind of total addressable market for Kongsberg?
Well, it's -- the market is developing significantly, both in small sats and the smaller satellites are becoming bigger because the payload is also becoming bigger. And as mentioned, although it's highly uncertain how this market is developing and how the budgets are put forward, there are still many countries that has announced significant spending, both in Canada, in Japan, in Germany, in EU, ESA as well. So I think we're well positioned for those programs. As I said, we can deliver on a stand-alone basis, but very often also partnering will be very reasonable in this setting.
To give you some more flavor, as I see it is that Europe needs sovereign capabilities, and that is based on -- especially on the constellation level. And we definitely, as Kongsberg will contribute on the platform side and also downloading data in addition to a lot of other things we can do. But I think what we see in general in Europe is that we -- harmonization of and consolidation will take place in the shape of more joint ventures or more alliances.
So this is a good match for Kongsberg. We are used to work with, and you saw the list that I think Martin presented. We are used to work with tens of companies around the world. So this is what we like to do. We like to establish, call it, partnerships that really delivers in a good manner to the different countries, these sovereign capacities.
My final question is, would it make sense conceptually to think about growth percentage-wise more or less equal across the 3 different business areas?
Yes. So I can comment on that. So when we have -- as we've been through, we will kind of look at the backlog, the pipeline and also the strategic ambitions. And when we look at all the 3 divisions, actually, there is a very strong connection between them. So for us, it doesn't really make sense to say that one division will grow more than the other because we don't know exactly where these orders will be placed. So that is the main reason why we are not commenting on divisional specific targets.
Fabian Jørgensen from Pareto again. On the standardized vessels, can you give some flavor on what could be the content of the vessels and how many holes you see as the base case now? I would assume NSM, 3SM combat systems, remote weapon stations and HUGIN. And Norway has commented, of course, Norway, Canada, U.K. maybe, Latvia and Lithuania. Anything beyond that you see as a potential?
I can maybe talk a little bit about the content of the vessel. So the whole sort of core of the system is that you have a very modular flexible design. So you have a base vessel with certain capabilities designed to host other crewed or uncrewed systems. And then you have toolboxes on top of that. So if you look at one thing, one is, as I said, HUGIN in multiple roles, but one of the key one is mine countermeasures to use HUGIN to find mines and you have other tools on board to actually pacify or take out the mines.
You have naval strike missiles. We have air defense capabilities. We have a lot of communication, space communications. Manned-unmanned teaming, but the list of toolboxes is actually almost endless. So there is a lot of capability, and it will continue to evolve. That's the whole point that you can keep the main platform, but you can evolve with new capabilities as the threats and the needs change over time.
Yes. But I think you're right that NSM could be part of Vanguard as an example because it depends on -- we call them support vessels. And it depends on what role they want to take. So this will vary depending on how Norway decides to kind of implement their functions.
So a large vessel for the Norwegian Navy might be more heavily armed than the same for the Norwegian Coast Guard, for example. in normal operations.
And it's difficult to comment on the countries you are mentioning. You know about Norway and Canada, obviously, what has been public is that U.K. is looking at the same thing. And also Lithuania has been out publicly and stated that they are looking into standardized vessel programs.
Can you say if -- you said that the pipeline or people looking at this is expanding almost every day now, which then would imply that there's more countries on your list that you're engaging with.
Yes. So I think this is a platform that will contribute to the harmonizing of a type of platform in the world actually. So I think this thinking of having a quite civilian type of platform, adding military equipment that is tailored is quite unique and find a good place in the way we look at the market potential.
Then we have a question from Andreas Nygard in Nordea. In your 2033 target, have you included products that are currently not communicated to the market? Or is it based on the portfolio you present today?
I think we -- well, we base it on -- a lot is based on what we saw on the -- was it 7--6 of this portfolio bubbles. And so I think majority is based on that.
And then one final quick question. Can you please provide an update where you...
Maybe I could we also have what we didn't state there, there's a lot of other things. We have seen the divisions, and they are quite diversified in the sense that Get has submarine combat systems for submarine. So that is one example that also are part of that. So we could add on this, which is not part of this map we showed. So -- but that's not.
And the list of technologies is long. So the ability to combine them is also there. One final short question is, can you please provide an update on where we stand on Sonatech and also the Thales JV integration?
I think we -- what we can say about Sonatech is that we are awaiting a response from the government in U.S. So that's about what we can state about that. So hopefully, we get a message quite soon, but we don't know yet. And when it comes to the joint venture between Thales and our communication business is now in -- going to be confirmed by EU going forward.
Very good. Thank you. That concludes today's Q&A, and I will hand it over to Eirik for some final remarks.
So just a few closing remarks. So I'd like to summarize what we have covered today, and I'm not going to repeat everything because I think it's been a thorough walk-through here. But as we started with, the world has changed significantly since our last Capital Markets Day in 2024, and Kongsberg has changed with it.
So throughout the day, we have shown how our divisions are positioned in markets with strong demand and how our technology is relevant for the challenges our customers are facing. We have also shown how we are building industrial capacity and strengthening our position in important markets. And also, our financial ambitions reflect the opportunities we see ahead. But they also reflect the confidence we have in our people, our technology and our ability to deliver.
So I'd like to thank my team for their presentations today. And I'd also like to thank everyone who has asked questions in this Q&A session. I also like to thank everybody taking part in this program. So to everyone here in Kongsberg and to those following us online, thank you for joining Kongsberg's Capital Markets Day.
And for those of you here in Kongsberg, Lunch will be served just outside. And before you leave, I encourage you to visit our stand. It's around the corner outside there, where you can look at a lot of equipment we have asked questions to learn more about what we have stated today about some of the equipment. So I hope you get a good time there. So thank you, and let's talk more in the break and lunch and take it from there. Thank you.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Analyst/Investor Day - Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Analyst/Investor Day - Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
Kongsberg repositions as a pure-play defense and security tech company, raising growth targets while scaling missile production and partnerships.
📣 Key Message
- Central view: Geopolitical demand for air defense, missiles, underwater and space capabilities is structural; Kongsberg has refocused on these markets and raised its ambitions while investing to scale manufacturing and partnerships.
- Execution focus: Delivering the NOK 152bn backlog and ramping factories is management’s top priority to convert demand into revenue.
🎯 Strategic Highlights
- Financial targets: Ambition to reach NOK 100bn revenue in 2029 and NOK 150bn in 2033 with EBIT margin above 16% (management calls 16% a floor).
- Industrial scale-up: Nexus missile factory operational; additional factories planned in Australia (move-in 2027) and the U.S. (production 2028); PP&E capex guided ~7–9% of revenue in 2026–27 before normalizing.
- Portfolio breadth: High-end missiles (NSM, JSM), next-gen supersonic 3SM, and the newly closed Zone 5 acquisition to add low-cost, high-volume missiles and interceptors; Discovery division expands underwater autonomy (HUGIN) and space capabilities.
🆕 New Information
- Deal update: Zone 5 acquisition closed and is explicitly included in the 2029/2033 ambitions to provide "affordable mass" missile capability and U.S. footprint.
- Reporting change: Joint ventures will be reported proportionally in alternative performance measures (revenues, EBITDA, EBIT, order intake/backlog).
- Factory timelines: Australia 2027 and U.S. 2028 production targets stated, Nexus already producing at high rate.
❓ Analyst Q&A
- Margins challenge: Analysts pushed on sustainability of current >20% EBITDA; management framed >16% as a conservative floor driven by scale, product mix and continued R&D and integration costs.
- Supply constraints: Interceptor and missile component capacity (engines, explosives, some electronics) flagged as industry bottlenecks; Kongsberg says it is working with multiple suppliers and building local supply/forecast transparency.
- Ambition drivers: Zone 5, backlog (NOK 152bn), pipeline and gov’t procurement plans underpin targets; Vanguard standardized-vessel design wins give potential additional program revenue but procurement phasing remains country-driven.
⚡ Bottom Line
- Investor takeaway: The company set aggressive, now-explicit growth and margin targets and showed concrete industrial plans (factories, Zone 5, partnerships). Execution risk—ramp, supply chain, working capital and timing of new orders—will determine whether targets are met; credit profile and dividend policy aim to remain disciplined while funding growth.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q1 2026 Earnings Call
1. Management Discussion
Good morning, and welcome to the presentation of Kongsberg's first quarter results. This presentation is done as a webcast only, and you will be able to send in questions through the chat function. This is the first quarter that we present our results after the spin-off of Kongsberg Maritime. Kongsberg Maritime has already presented their figures earlier this morning and are presented in Kongsberg's financial statements as discontinued business. Therefore, Kongsberg Maritime is not included in this presentation.
I will also take the opportunity to invite all of you to follow our upcoming Capital Markets Day that will take place on the 10th of June in the city of Kongsberg. It will also be possible to follow the event online. Please note that this presentation contains forward-looking statements that, by their nature, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the actual results to differ. Today's presentation will be delivered to you by our CEO, Eirik Lie; and our CFO, Martin Wien Fjell. With that, I will hand it over to our CEO, Eirik.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome. I'm very pleased to present the first quarter results for Kongsberg. Before I dive into the details of the first quarter, I would like to share a few comments about Kongsberg and the markets we operate in. Over the past few years, rising geopolitical uncertainty has transformed the global landscape, redefining how countries think about globalization and security. Defense, security and resilience are now top national priorities together with sustainability.
Countries are increasing investments and accelerating decisions. In this market, Kongsberg has established market-leading positions in key segments, such as in air defense, missiles, weapon stations and autonomous systems. We continue to scale up our capacity to deliver on our order backlog and future demand. Therefore, we are in a unique position to take advantage of the big trends that are driving demand in our industry.
In the first quarter, revenues increased by 26% to NOK 9.2 billion from the same period last year. Earnings before interest and tax were NOK 1.5 billion, resulting in an EBIT margin of 16.6%. The results were driven by high volumes across the company with strong growth in air defense and missiles projects specifically. Order intake in the quarter was very strong at NOK 27 billion, taking the total order backlog to NOK 152 billion, a record level. And Martin will provide further details about the financials in his presentation.
In April, the demerger of Kongsberg Maritime was completed and the formation of the new Kongsberg became official. The combination of our Defense and Aerospace business with the sensors and robotics expertise in our Discovery division creates a company that combines market-leading defense positions with the rapid innovation of the civilian tech sector. The first quarter was characterized by high market activity with several important new contract awards. However, our #1 priority remains to deliver on our promises to our customers, and I'm pleased to report good progress in our project portfolio.
And we will continue to increase our capacity to meet current order backlog as well as future demand. The order intake in the first 3 months of the year was very strong at NOK 27 billion. In January, we signed a contract with Poland for the delivery of Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems or Counter-UAS. to protect the country against evolving threats from drones. The contract is worth about NOK 16 billion to Kongsberg, one of the biggest contracts we have ever signed. The deliveries will take place over the next 2.5 years.
Other notable awards included a NOK 2 billion contract order for deliveries to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The agreement extends our production of F-35 components through 2030. In February, we signed a contract with Patria worth EUR 140 million for the delivery of PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Stations for the German and Swedish CAVS vehicle program. And we will deliver several hundred remote weapon stations, and the contract has the potential for substantial follow-on orders. The first quarter of the year also marked not one but two major milestones for our standardized vessel concept. Kongsberg and Salt Ship Design were awarded the contract to design standardized vessels for both Norway and Canada.
In Norway, we will work closely with the Navy and the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency to define the final design for up to 28 new vessels. In Canada, Kongsberg and Salt will work with local partner, Adaptive Marine Solutions on standardized vessels for the Coast Guard. While the nominal value of these contracts is modest, the agreements represent a breakthrough for standardized vessel concepts. There is also a significant interest from other countries.
In the Discovery division, we signed 2 new contracts to deliver the HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle or AUV. We also signed 2 contracts for upgrades to existing HUGINs. The defense market is the fastest-growing segment for HUGIN, but all these customers were in the civilian market. This shows the true dual-use potential of this technology. We also signed a contract to deliver hydroacoustic sensors to the Polarmax 2, an icebreaker and a research vessel with the Canadian Coast Guard as the end customer.
The contract underlines our ability to deliver hydroacoustic solutions for advanced research platforms. One of the key learnings from Ukraine and the Middle East has been the impact of drones and the importance of being able to counter them. Counter-UAS typically combine radars, sensors, cameras and acoustics to detect, identify the threat. Then the system will use effectors like jamming or a weapon station to mitigate or eliminate the drone.
The need for an European drone wall to the East has been raised, and we consider the contract with Poland to be the first step in this direction. Kongsberg has developed and delivered Counter-UAS solutions since 2018 to the United States as well as to Ukraine. We have delivered more than 25,000 remote weapon stations and turrets to 30 countries over the years. Remote weapon stations can be Counter-UAS enabled. So we are able to offer customers a reliable solution that can be implemented fast.
This is not only about retrofitting on existing systems, but also adding new capacities to the armed forces. As I mentioned, delivering on our order backlog is our #1 priority. In March, we delivered -- we completed the delivery of Joint Strike Missile to Japan. Japan was the first international customer to select the JSM. Since then, several allied nations have chosen the system, including the U.S., Australia and Germany in addition to Norway.
We have been building up our production capacity over the last few years. The Nexus missile factory in Norway is producing at a high rate. The same is true for the production of NASAMS and weapon stations. Although we are at high level, we still have the flexibility to increase production further in response to rising demand. In Australia, as you can see on the picture, the construction of the missile factory is progressing well. We are on track to start occupying the missile factory in 2027. Our new factory in the U.S. is also progressing with missiles being produced in 2028.
With that, I will hand it over to Martin, who will guide you through the numbers in greater detail.
Thank you, Eirik, and good morning to all of you following us through the webcast. I'm happy to present what is yet another solid quarter for Kongsberg. New this quarter is the inclusion of figures from 50-50 owned joint ventures. This is done in order to align the external reporting with internal governance and highlights the significant value that these represent.
For the time being, this means that Kongsberg Satellite Services is included in the figures of Discovery and Kta Naval Systems in Defense Systems. To start off, let's take a closer look at the quarterly order intake and also the order backlog. Total order intake for the quarter came in at NOK 27 billion, resulting in a record high order backlog of NOK 152 billion for the group. As mentioned, the main contributor was the NOK 16 billion Counter-UAS contract with Poland. This contract has a relatively short lead time with the majority of the value expected to be realized in 2027 and 2028.
On the right-hand side, you will find the divisional split of the current backlog. Defense Systems accounts for NOK 80 billion, roughly 53% of the total backlog. Missiles and Aerostructure stands at NOK 60 billion, approximately 40%, while Discovery accounts for 8% or just above NOK 11 billion. It is important to note that the nature of Discovery's business is more short term with faster deliveries. The backlog spans out in time with 54% scheduled to be delivered in 2028 and beyond. This underlines the long-term horizon of several of our important contracts. 28% is for delivery in 2027 and 18% in 2026, and this is providing us with solid visibility for the period.
Next, let's look at the revenue. Kongsberg delivered a strong quarter with revenue coming in at NOK 9.2 billion. This is an increase of 26% compared to first quarter 2025. All 3 divisions contributed with growth ranging from 8% to 45%. Activity is high across all areas, and we are working continuously on scaling operations and ramping up production capacity. And this is done in order to deliver on our backlog and the future demand that we see.
Defense Systems grew revenues by 45% in the quarter from NOK 2.9 billion to NOK 4.1 billion. The strong performance makes the division the biggest contributor in the quarter. The main driver was improved project execution on air defense projects, and we are currently delivering on several large projects with a long-term horizon.
Moving on to Missiles and Aerostructures. They delivered a top line growth of 22%, resulting in a revenue of NOK 2.8 billion, up from NOK 2.3 billion last year. We continue to ramp up our missile production and the pace of deliveries is going according to plan. Similarly to Defense Systems, the division is delivering on multiple large contracts that span several years into the future. Discovery grew revenues by 8% in the quarter. Deliveries within the small satellite segments were particularly strong together with drone detection and inertial solutions. We continue to see increased demand related to security and surveillance, both below sea level and also in space. Kongsberg Satellite Services is now part of the divisional figures on a proportionate level. And the Discovery's share of this is about NOK 273 million.
With successful execution on the order backlog, we expect the full year top line growth to be above what we achieved in 2025. However, there will, of course, be normal quarterly fluctuations. Turning our attention to profitability. EBIT came in at NOK 1.5 billion with a corresponding margin of 16.6%. This compares to just below NOK 1 billion and a margin of 13.5% last year, meaning that we have an increase in EBIT of 55% and a margin improvement of 3.1 percentage points. And this demonstrates our ability to exploit benefits of scale, although, of course, profitability will vary between quarters.
Looking at the divisions, Defense Systems drove performance with a growth in operating results of 62% in the quarter. This results in an EBIT of NOK 796 million. The margin came in at 19.2%, up from 17.2% in first quarter 2025. Missiles and Aerostructures delivered an EBIT of NOK 480 million at a margin of 17.4%. This yields a growth rate of roughly 12% due to higher missile production volume. The margin decreased by 1.6 percentage points due to the particularly strong deliveries that we had in the first quarter of 2025.
Discovery increased EBIT from NOK 295 million last year to NOK 362 million this quarter. This represents an increase of 23%. The improvement was driven by both volume and favorable project mix, particularly from the Space segment. The margin came in at 17%, up from 15% in the first quarter of 2025. Discovery will move into new facilities, and we expect short-term fluctuations on margins during the implementation phase. As we now include numbers from 50-50 owned joint ventures in our overall reporting, Kongsberg Satellite Services is included in Discovery and Kta Naval Systems is included in Defense Systems. This leaves Patria, of which we own 49.9%.
As always, the first quarter numbers only include January and February due to a reporting lag. Q4 instead will include 4 months. Patria reported revenues of EUR 163 million and an EBIT of EUR 1 million. Kongsberg's share of net income for the quarter was negative with NOK 14 million. The revenue growth of 51% was primarily driven by the armored vehicle business and certain one-off items. Therefore, the growth is not fully representative of what to be expected for the full year.
We expect both the revenue and profitability to increase for the rest of the year. A milestone in the quarter was the delivery of the first 6x6 vehicles to Germany. This was part of the CAVS program. Patria has over time grown their backlog and secured several significant contracts. The backlog stands at EUR 3.5 billion as of February, up from EUR 2.4 billion last year. Note that this is not included in Kongsberg's reported backlog.
Similar to Kongsberg, Patria has been and continues to invest in increased production capacity to meet significant demand. We continue to have joint business opportunities through our remote weapon stations and the CAVS program. With that, I will leave the floor to you, Eirik, for some final remarks.
Thank you, Martin. At the end of the first quarter, the order backlog was NOK 152 billion. About NOK 27 billion of this will be delivered during the rest of 2026. Call-offs from framework agreements and aftermarket services will come in addition to this. As a result, we expect revenue growth in 2026 above the 2025 level. Deliveries of missiles and air defense systems continue to be the key revenue drivers. Demand remains high, and we expect to win new contracts for our core products from new and existing customers during 2026.
The NSM is one of our biggest successes. The missile has been selected by 14 countries so far. JSM was launched later than NSM and has so far been sold to 5 nations. In today's market, we see strong demand for the Joint Strike Missile. And we continue to invest in our capacity to deliver. We see synergies between our defense and civilian technology portfolio across defense, security and surveillance.
Kongsberg has a strong market position, a significant order backlog and a solid financial position. This provides a good basis for continued growth in 2026 and beyond. Today, we are focused on the first quarter performance. On June 10, in just 5 weeks, I look forward to welcome you to Kongsberg for our Capital Markets Day, where we will be more -- share more details about Kongsberg and our ambitions. Thank you. I will now open up for questions.
Thank you, Eirik. We have some questions from the audience on the webcast. Can you comment on the momentum within AUVs and sonars for commercial and defense markets and whether you have seen increased interest for these products in Q2?
I would say if we take a step back, I think Kongsberg has a very unique position in this segment. We have developed kind of use dual-use technology for decades. So we have the technology needed in this context. And with the growing demand for underwater vehicles and also other sensors in water, we see an increased demand when we look at the challenges around the world. So yes, we see an increased demand for this.
Thank you. From Magnus Rasmussen in SEB is what we can expect from the new missile factories in 2028 already in the backlog? Or will there be additional missile sales with delivery already in 2028?
We will -- as we have already stated is that we have built up capacity to secure our current order backlog, but also for future demands. So we're not going into specific details, but the outlook and how we can produce is very much aligned with our customer expectations.
And we have an additional question from Magnus Rasmussen. Is the increase in Discovery figures versus previously stated figures just due to the inclusion of KSAT to APMs? Or have you shifted any business from the old KDA into Discovery?
Yes. So when we set up the new organization, we took the space business that was previously in Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, and we merged that together with the old Kongsberg Discovery business. So what you see now as Discovery is the combination of the old Kongsberg Discovery and the Space business of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
And then from Hans-Erik Jacobsen in Arctic. Can you please give us an update on Zone 5?
Yes. Zone 5, we announced that last year -- end of last year, that we have agreed to procure Zone 5, a U.S.-based company, producing and developing low-cost missile but being able to be produced in high numbers. And we are currently awaiting formal response from U.S. government related to the transaction. And we expect this to happen within this half year.
And from Fabian Jorgensen in Pareto. Can you elaborate a bit on the margin development and what we should expect from the remainder of the year?
Yes. So I think that we had a really good start of the year in first quarter with 16.6% EBIT margin. And throughout the rest of the quarters, you should expect the margin to vary based on the project and product mix.
And then from Trygve Bruland, just to be specific, you expect revenue growth in percent in Norwegian kroner to exceed the 2025 growth also when considering how much stronger the Norwegian kroner is versus euros and dollars this year?
Yes, that is correct.
Good. And then from Ole-Petter Sjovold in Sparebank, again, could you quantify the contribution of Kta Naval Systems in Defense System in the quarter?
Yes. So you will see more of the numbers in the notes of the report, but the Kta Naval Systems is -- has limited effect on the inclusion in the APMs.
Thank you. That concludes the questions from the webcast. Thank you all for attending the webcast this morning, and see you soon.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q1 2026 Earnings Call
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q1 2026 Earnings Call
Strong Q1 with record backlog and capacity expansion post-spin; sets up 2026 growth.
📊 Quarter at a Glance
- Revenue: NOK 9.2B (+26% YoY)
- EBIT: NOK 1.5B (margin 16.6%; +3.1pp vs 2025)
- Order intake: NOK 27B
- Backlog: NOK 152B (record)
- Backlog by division: Defense Systems ~NOK 80B (53%), Missiles & Aerostructures ~NOK 60B (40%), Discovery ~NOK 11B (8%)
🎯 What Management Says
- Market position: Defense and security investments remain core; Kongsberg scales capacity to meet backlog and demand.
- Wins & capacity: Counter-UAS contract with Poland (~NOK 16B); JSM production; standardized vessels for Norway and Canada; new missile factories planned in Australia (2027) and the United States (2028).
- Strategic linkages: Dual-use potential of Discovery/HUGIN and cross-portfolio synergies between defense and civilian tech.
🔭 Outlook & Guidance
- Backlog visibility: NOK 152B; about NOK 27B to be delivered in 2026.
- Revenue outlook: 2026 revenue expected to exceed 2025 level.
- Margins & risks: EBIT margin in the mid-teens; margins vary with project mix; quarterly fluctuations possible.
❓ Analyst Q&A
- AUVs & sensors demand: Increased interest for dual-use underwater systems in civilian and defense markets.
- Margin trajectory: Q1 margin 16.6%; rest of year will vary with project mix and timing.
- Zone 5 update: US government response expected in H2; potential impact on timeline and cost structure.
⚡ Bottom Line
The quarter reinforces a defense-led growth story with a record backlog and capacity expansion after the spin, supporting a positive 2026 outlook, though margins will flex with project mix and execution risk.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q4 2025 Earnings Call
1. Management Discussion
[Audio Gap] incoming CEO of Kongsberg from April this year as well as incoming Chief Financial Officer, Martin Wien Fjell.
We will start by giving you a short summary of the presentation that I guess many of you have already seen from this morning before we open for Q&A. You will find a Q&A button on your screen. So please type in your questions there, and I will read them out for all the viewers.
So with that, Eirik.
Thank you, and it's good to have a meeting with you all. I will give a short overview of some of the elements we discussed earlier today, if you haven't seen it. So I just want to highlight that as Kongsberg as in the future, we -- I would like to start with that Kongsberg has a strong home base, and we are growing very much internationally. So about 80% of what we are doing today is outside of Norway. And you can see on this slide that we have organized ourselves with 3 strong divisions.
The first one on the left side is Defense Systems, where you can see NASAMS is part of that air defense system. And underneath that, that's the remote weapon stations. So that is part of that division. And then missiles and aerostructures with the JSM, Joint Strike Missile and the Naval Strike Missile as the strike missile we are selling to approximately 15 nations at the moment. And also, we are producing parts and composites, titanium parts for F-35.
And then we have the third division, Discovery, mainly producing HUGIN, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and other sensors and robotics, especially operating in the commercial and also defense markets, while the 2 first divisions are operating in the defense market. I will also highlight that Discovery also includes the space business. In addition to these 3 divisions, we -- our business model is constructed so that we establish joint ventures, partnerships and co-ownerships. That is a really important part of our strategy. So that brings us closer to key partners and providing access to a broader customer base.
On the right-hand side, you will see our financials and that they are strong. These numbers, they include the 50-50 JVs as well. So in 2025, we had NOK 33 billion in revenue, approximately NOK 5 billion in EBIT and the order backlog is NOK 138 billion. I just also want to highlight for those knowing us in details, we don't include Patria where we have an ownership of 49.9% in these numbers.
Next. So this is some of the historic numbers for Kongsberg, which tells quite a lot of the growth path we are on. And we expect this growth to continue. But if you look at the left side here, when it comes to revenue and EBIT margin, I would say that we have a solid margin level throughout the growth period. At the same time, you can see that the growth started back in 2018 before the war in Ukraine. So we experienced a demand for our system already at that time, and we were able to do investments based on that. So we actually were ready when the war broke out in Ukraine.
And if you so, we have tripled our revenues in a decade. And on the right side, you can see that this is an order backlog. And compared to -- if you look at the global defense procurement and compare it to our order intake, we outpaced the -- outgrow the global defense procurement by 3. So we are increasing more rapidly compared to that. This is a kind of quick look at our portfolio, ranging from underwater from undersea to space. And you see in the middle there, you can see NASAMS, you see NSM missile and you see remote weapon systems. Those are the main global positions we have taken.
And I'd also like to highlight that when going forward, we see that the new frontiers in the battlefield are the deep sea and space, and we are very much focused on these segments as well as growing areas for us. And if you look at, I would say, the new Kongsberg, where we combined Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery, this is a good match since Discovery has very much deep knowledge and systems and solutions for underwater systems and now also including the space. So to add those 2 elements together fits very much into the defense portfolio and makes us more focused on the defense market. But we also like to highlight that technology is very much important for us going forward.
If we take the next one. Kongsberg has always been a high-tech supplier with what I would say is the best and most advanced solutions. And we see that technology and speed of innovations are really important elements also for the defense sector. But this innovation and the speed of innovation is taking place in the civilian part of what we are doing and also worldwide. So those are really important elements. You see on the left side there, what we call rapid innovation. I would say that we during the Ukraine war, there was a lack of counter-UAS systems. We were able to deliver what we call a platform counter-drone solution to Ukraine within 3 months after the ID was created to delivery, only 3 months. And now we do the same for unmanned surface vessels. So these are examples of how we can do rapid innovation and feel it quite quickly.
We also experienced in Ukraine the need for high-volume production of cost-effective missiles and interceptors. So we did an acquisition of Zone 5, a U.S. company that gives us access to a fast-growing developer and producer of cost-effective missiles and that can be produced and manufactured at high volumes. And this will complement our -- both the strike missile portfolio and also the air defense missile portfolio with, I would say, high volume but to lower cost solutions.
On the right-hand side, you see a typical dual-use technology. This is the HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle developed and produced by Discovery, which has a civilian and civilian use, but now will have also an applications usage towards the defense side.
If I go on to the next one. And also, our products, as we have today, we need further development in these areas. So for instance, for the full spectrum air defense, which is important for us, we see that we have to plug in long-range capabilities towards anti-TBM systems at the same time, also counter-UAS anti-drone solutions. And with the strike missile portfolio, we continue our development. We have one high-end solution that we are currently developing together with Germany and Norway, which is a Supersonic Strike Missile, 3SM. And also this acquiring of Zone 5 for high-volume manufacturing is a very important part of that strike missile portfolio.
And also underwater capabilities, which I said was one of the new important areas going forward, where we have Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. And also this area is also important for our critical infrastructure solutions. And on the right side, with the space capabilities, we call the space for Defense, typical during use area. And Kongsberg covers the whole value chain, everything from taking down data to being a producer of small satellites and also to handle the data.
And that was a very short brief on some of the highlights earlier today and probably answer questions.
We have quite a few questions from the viewers. I'll start with a few questions from Magnus Rasmussen, SEB on -- around the contract you announced with Poland on counter-UAS recently. The first one is regarding today's comment from the Kongsberg CFO during the presentation. When the CFO guided for KDA growth for 2026 in line with 2025, meaning around 32%, had she then taken into account the effect of the Polish order last week?
Yes. The simple answer is yes. Just a few comments on the Poland contract. This is, how should I put it, an important contract because it's position ourselves in an important area where protection against drones in the air is a critical defense activity that needs to be highlighted. We see that in Ukraine. And I think this -- the magnitude of the contract in Poland establishes one solution that can be utilized in other countries going forward. But for now, for us, it's important to deliver on this contract and secure that we have a good solution in place.
Is it fair to assume, as we read in Polish media that the full NOK 16 billion worth of contract will be delivered within the end of 2027 or at least the main part of it?
Yes. What we say is that there is a quick delivery schedule here. We have initial deliveries this year in '26, and the main deliveries will be in '27. So -- and then a little bit into 2028 as well.
Thank you. On the anti-drone system, again, how should we think about capacity constraints on these type of products? And how much of the order will be covered from the Polish plant? And how can you -- can your supply chain keep up with this rapid delivery?
First of all, we -- initial deliveries will be done from facilities we have in Norway to secure that we are able to deliver within quite a short time frame. At the same time, we will establish an assembly line in Poland to secure that the next deliveries will be done from -- out from Poland facilities. And this is -- we have a good situation with the suppliers in this area. And so I think we have a good setting to be able to deliver on the promises in this case.
And one more on the Poland contract. How should we think about margins on such a delivery? Our understanding is that these products generally have higher margins at both segment level? Or should we expect some kind of first buy discount for Poland in this case?
I think we should look at this as a normal project with -- there are some integration that needs to take place. We have established a consortium between a Polish company, PGZ and ourselves. That is very important as part of being a strategic partner in Poland. And there's a lot of equipment to be delivered. So I would say that this is a typical normal program for us.
Thank you. Why have the margins in the Defense Systems division been slightly weaker recently? And can we expect them to recover back to the 20%, 21% area shown in the previous couple of years?
I think the simple answer here is that it's based on the product mix that will vary. And I will not comment going forward, but this will very much depend on when the different programs and projects are run and executed because this will be different, how this is played out. And if you have, let's say, development contracts, they will have not so high margin level compared to pure delivery contracts. So this is a mix that we -- a product mix that is relevant for why we are a little bit, I would say, up and down when it comes to margin level for Defense Systems.
And then on the Missiles and Discovery divisions, can those 2 divisions reach a sort of [ 22% ] level when it comes to margins eventually? Why or why not?
Well, I will not comment the level of margin level because it's -- as I said again, it depends on the project mix. And obviously, we are driving for a good margin level. I think we will continue the stable margin level we have already stated, which is where we want to be. And we need to secure also that we do necessary investments in what we are doing to secure that we stay relevant towards our customers and also stay ahead of the competition. So this is always a mix in how we want to position ourselves going forward.
Thank you. Over to satellites. Can you expand on your LEO satellite business? It seems like -- it seems you are the largest producer in the EU. And how do you compete in the cost curve against companies such as SpaceX?
Well, maybe a little bit in different categories there, but I think this is a pure commercial production of small satellites that we are in a commercial civilian setting with, but we will utilize these satellites we are producing also for defense applications, and we are using that. And so we keep the cost level at the same level. And then we can add on applications for the defense setting.
Can we expect the order momentum to continue expanding beyond 2025? Is the NOK 61 billion order intake sustainable into the next couple of years?
What I can say is that we see the growth in defense spending, for instance, in Europe to be on -- is continue. And all countries in NATO are trajectory towards the 3.5% and finally, 5% in 2035. So we see a growing demand for defense systems in general. And we expect to continue our growth path going forward as well.
Thank you. Then a question on standardized vessels or Vanguard more specifically. What do you see as potential when it comes to this project and both in the short term and in the longer term?
I think the standardized vessel program with Vanguard, we are now -- I can't say too much about it. It's a competition ongoing in Norway right now. What we are proposing is a very much solution based on standard chip platform, a standard design where we put different military equipment on. And we see that this could be a potential for harmonizing this kind of platform, especially in some parts of Europe going forward.
Your revenues have tripled over the past 5 years, yet your margins have stayed relatively stable at 15%. Why is that? And why are you not seeing more operating leverage in the business?
Well, I think we have been able throughout the growth period that we are in to secure that we stay with a stable margin level that is good. We continue to invest in what we are doing. And this is -- and also a different project mix. And we are able to do the scaling and delivery of our production capacity. So I think without decreasing the margin level. So I think that is also an important factor to bring into this equation.
And a few questions from Martin Granviken, Kepler. Does the delayed software rollout within the F-35 program affect the short-term Joint Strike Missile potential?
No, we don't see that. It's important that we do the final integration, but the missile itself has been accepted and approved. So it's the last step where it's integrated into F-35 that needs to be completed. But we don't see that as negatively affect our potential with JSM.
And with regards to counter-UAS and remote weapon stations again, how is the potential related to existing RWS PROTECTOR Systems without counter-UAS? What would be a typical contract value for an add-on to this functionality?
I think what we see generally in the market is that when you have vehicle programs in the different countries, they normally also want at least for a portion of the vehicles to have the remote weapon stations part of that vehicle. And we just today, as an example, announced that we -- and Patria sold a 6x6 vehicle to, for instance, Germany, we also will get the contract for our weapon stations as part of that contract. So we got EUR 140 million contract today because of that. And we see that in different vehicle programs that the need for -- a continued need for our Remote Weapon Systems are still there.
Since 2023, you have achieved an impressive annual book-to-bill above 2. How do you view the potential over the next years? For example, is the identified pipeline front-loaded? Or is it reasonable to expect the same trajectory?
It's -- I cannot go into all details there, but we expect to continue the growth we are seeing. So I cannot comment on how this will play out. But since we see the defense spending is increasing in the different countries we are very much involved in, that is also an indication that we will continue to grow.
Then a question from [indiscernible]. The 3SM Supersonic Strike Missile is planned to be fully developed around 2035. This appears to be a very long development time line, especially given the rapid pace at which other advanced weapon systems and technologies are being developed today by you. Please elaborate around this.
Yes. First of all, I would say that 3SM is a very different category compared to more of the rapid development cycles we have seen. So it's extremely sophisticated and -- but we are also trying to narrow down the development time to have it a little bit earlier. But I think the development is between Norway and Germany. It's a bilateral program with creating a unique capacity and to be the best in the market in 2035. So that's kind of the situation for 3SM.
But I will also highlight that when acquiring Zone 5, we are not getting the same capacity at 3SM, but more equivalent to JSM, for instance, will be more of in this low-cost segment that can be produced in high volume. That will be very complementary to our current JSM and NSM.
Then a question from [indiscernible]. How are you using AI in your business today? And how important will this be in the future? Do your 3,000 software engineers already use AI coding tools like, for example, Quadcode? And what will these new AI coding tools mean for speed, efficiency and time to market?
Yes. We are using AI in certain applications today and also part of the solutions we are delivering. And going forward, this will be more and more important for the defense applications. And just imagine the amount of information you are receiving on how to deal with that. And also looking into the underwater applications, how to deal with that. What we foresee is that what you see in the drone setting in Ukraine in the air, the same will take place undersea. And this is an area where we see an advantage of using AI because of the automation between the different autonomous system there, just as an example. So this is and will be more and more important for us.
And then another question from Magnus Rasmussen, SEB. How much deliveries have you had to Ukraine in 2025? And how does that compare to 2024?
Well, I don't have the exact numbers there. But I would say that, well, Ukraine is really important for us. But if you compare it to the total revenue, it's about between, I think, 3% to 5% of our total revenue. So it's important, but not so significant when it comes to compare it to the total revenue of what we are doing.
And just to confirm, the recent counter-UAS contract with Poland signed last week is not in the backlog that you presented today?
Correct. That will -- that came in, in January. So that will be added on for Q1 '26.
And then you have been the President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for close to 10 years now. How would you say this area has changed under your management?
Well, it's -- I would say it's -- when I started back in the 1990s, Kongsberg and the defense side was very much focused on Norway, on domestic applications and working with the Norwegian customer. And throughout 2000 and after 2010, very much was focused to secure that what we are doing in Norway will be also on the export market. So we can see that we have expanded from maybe 10% export back in the '90s. And now we have between 80% and 90% export on the international market. And that is a huge transformation of the company.
And today, we are in a position. We used to be a niche defense supplier with certain extremely good products to what we are today, we are a what we could call a prime contractor being a strategic partner to governments and have a much larger impact on the decisions made in different countries when it comes to the defense side. So this is a huge transformation I've been part of. It's been really interesting to see how this has developed. And we can also see that because of the situation in the world with the Ukraine war, we can see that the world needs a company like Kongsberg.
And when it comes -- or do you have any constraints when it comes to capacity? And with regards to the supply chain, how do you work with the supply chain to kind of prepare them for the ramp-up that we are in and that most likely will continue for a while?
This is a very important question. And I would say that the supply chain is really critical for us, and we are constantly working together with the suppliers to secure that they do everything that is necessary to deliver what we need for our assembly or everything. And we can give all our suppliers a good visibility so that they can do the necessary investments and are able to ramp up their production so that we can meet expectations to our customers. So I think that is one side of it.
The other side is that to have a resilient supply chain, that means you need more suppliers to deliver the same items, for instance. And that's why we are building up a -- well, first of all, production sites in Europe, in North America and also in Australia. And at the same time, build up local supply chains around these hubs. And that has -- and we are doing that now, and that is very important for us to secure that we are not having, for instance, one supplier that is not able to deliver, then we have multiple sources.
Thank you. It seems like that was the last question from the viewers tonight. So I would like to thank you all for attending and wish you all a good weekend.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q4 2025 Earnings Call
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q4 2025 Earnings Call
1. Management Discussion
[Audio Gap] As well as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mette Toft Bjorgen. Later today, you will also have the opportunity to follow company presentations of Kongsberg Maritime and Kongsberg following the demerger -- the announced demerger. At 09:30 Central European Time, incoming CEO, Lisa Edvardsen Haugan, will present Kongsberg Maritime; and at 10:15, incoming CEO, Eirik Lie, will present Kongsberg going forward. But before that, let's dive into the Q4 figures. Geir, the floor is yours.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us here today. It's a real pleasure to welcome you all to this presentation for the Q4 and 2025 results. This is the last quarter we will present Kongsberg as we know it and also the last time I will have the pleasure of presenting the quarterly highlights of the group.
We find ourselves in extraordinary time, packed with both challenges and exciting opportunities. The current geopolitical and economic landscape is undergoing profound transformation with shifting alliances and rebalancing of power, shaping a new world order. As the global tension rise and competition intensifies between the major economic and military powers, the necessity for the adaptability and foresight has never been greater.
In this environment, where tariffs and trade are constantly on the agenda, the interplay between national and regional interest, technological advancement and international cooperation is redefined the rules of engagement and presenting both new risk, opportunities for growth and innovation for a company like Kongsberg. The new security situation in Europe marked by the ongoing war in Ukraine has brought significant challenges and increased uncertainty across our continent.
This conflict has underscored the importance of resilience, preparedness and technological innovation within defense and the maritime sector. As European nations reassess their security strategies and strengthen cooperation, our company remains committed to support Ukraine and our allies, ensuring that we are well positioned to respond and act.
Over the past few years, Kongsberg has made considerable strategic decisions through acquisition, technological development and capacity investment. These decisions have given us new muscles, leading international positions and better conditions to perform and navigate in a demanding and unpredictable landscape. Now we stand on the brink of another major and important strategic transformation of the company's history.
At the Extraordinary General Assembly meeting in January, it was decided with broad support that Kongsberg Maritime will be listed as a separate maritime technology company. And that Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery will be consolidated into a technology and defense-focused company. My main priorities over the coming months is to ensure that the strategic changes and the leadership transition provide continuity, stability and security for all our stakeholders.
And I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support and encouragement throughout the process, providing a solid foundation for the soon-to-be 2 independent listed companies. In our quarterly report that was published this morning, you might have seen that Kongsberg Maritime is presented as discontinued business. In this presentation, however, we will present Kongsberg, including Kongsberg Maritime, so that the numbers are comparable to previous quarters.
2025 was yet another strong year with solid growth and profitability and also a strong influx of new orders. Kongsberg Maritime delivered growth and strong order intake despite a slowdown in the number of vessels contracted at the shipyards. The business area really demonstrated innovativeness through the delivery of REACH REMOTE 1. This is a 24-meter unmanned surface vessel designed by Kongsberg and filled with our technology. The remotely controlled vessel marks a real step change in the offshore operation, offering safer, more efficient and lower emission solutions. The technologies that required for such operation is also, of course, applicable for other segments.
And I can assure you that you will hear -- we see more of this going forward. In Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, demand remained very strong throughout the year. We saw solid growth, signed new major contracts and the business area made solid contribution to the record high order backlog for the group at the year-end. Our defense area continued to expand, and we are now underway to constructing new missile facilities, both in Australia and also in the U.S.
And this new capacity comes on top of the recent expansion in Norway. In Kongsberg Discovery, we continue to grow our ocean technology business. There was a strong demand for our sensors, positioning systems and subsea solutions. We have seen and are continuing to see increased demand for our technologies that both survey and explore underwater. And I'm confident that combining our underwater technology portfolio even closer with our defense business in 2026, we could broaden the exposure even further.
So overall, 2025 was a year of strong performance, strong demand and important technological milestones. As we now move into 2026, both companies, Kongsberg Maritime as a separate company and the continued Kongsberg entered the year with solid foundations, clear strategic direction and also a strong momentum.
So turning into our attention to the quarter. Q4 was another good quarter with solid progress and results, and Mette will come back to the financial details shortly. When it comes to the order intake, we signed orders for NOK 31.8 billion in the quarter. The largest one was the NASAMS contract with Denmark worth NOK 6 billion. This contract will provide Denmark with the latest and most modern and advanced air defense capability in the world. With this procurement, Denmark becomes also the 14th NASAMS user.
Kongsberg Maritime continued to deliver a solid order intake, especially deliveries for new builds. And despite the number of vessels contracted in the market that was down compared to previous year, we experienced a favorable mix for our offerings. Also in Q4, orders from offshore newbuild segment were a strong contributor to the overall order intake.
In Kongsberg Discovery, we continue to see strong demand for HUGIN AUVs and also drone detection radars. In addition, technology deliveries to research vessels contributes well to the overall order intake. So all 3 business areas end 2025 with a significantly higher order backlog compared to 2024. And with that, I leave the floor to Mette to take us through the financial status.
Thank you, Geir. Good morning, everyone. It's a pleasure to once again report solid financial performance for Kongsberg. And before we dive into the fourth quarter and the 2025 figures, let me briefly touch on what figures we are presenting for you today.
The Extraordinary General Meeting in January approved that Kongsberg Maritime will be listed as a separate maritime technology company. The demerger was announced in the fourth quarter, and the proposal triggers the requirement to present Kongsberg Maritime as operations held for distribution in our financial statements, both for Q4 and the full year 2025.
For today's presentation, however, we focus on the legacy company, meaning Kongsberg, including Kongsberg Maritime, to give a known comparison, as Geir said, of underlying performance and year-on-year development as this reflects how the business has operated throughout the year. Operations held for distribution will differ somewhat from the business area, Kongsberg Maritime since the new listed Kongsberg Maritime includes additional activities as described in the demerger plan.
With that, let's move on with the 2025 figures. 2025 has been another solid financial year for Kongsberg. Revenues reached NOK 58.6 billion in 2025 with underlying revenue growth at 17%. This excludes the gain from the divestment of the steering gear and rudder business, which added NOK 1.2 billion to both revenues and operating profit. All business areas delivered solid growth. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace was the main driver with 32%. Kongsberg Discovery delivered 16% and Kongsberg Maritime ended the year with 10% year-on-year growth.
Looking ahead to 2026, with successful execution on the backlog, we expect the full year top line growth to be broadly in line with what we achieved in 2025. There will be normal quarterly fluctuations, but overall, we see a growth trajectory this year that is consistent with last year for both Kongsberg Maritime and Kongsberg. EBIT for the year came in at NOK 9.3 billion. Excluding gain from sale, EBIT was NOK 8.1 billion, corresponding to an operating margin at 14.1%, an improvement of 0.8 percentage points from 2024.
Both Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery improved margins, supported by solid project executions and cost control. Kongsberg Maritime recorded a margin decline of 0.8 percentage points. This was driven by portfolio changes, including the divestment of the steering gear and rudder business and the integration of Kongsberg Digital's Maritime portfolio.
Adjusted for these effects, the margin is broadly in line with 2024. Order intake remained high at the high level we saw in 2024 and increased the order backlog by a further 23%, reaching NOK 157.4 billion. The strong order backlog gives us good visibility and higher revenue coverage in the next 2 years than what we have previously seen.
Let's go into the fourth quarter. Revenues for the group came in at NOK 16.8 billion, up close to NOK 3 billion or 21% from Q4 last year. Kongsberg Maritime delivered revenues of NOK 7.6 billion, a year-on-year growth of 10%. The growth is led by the new sales division, supported by solid backlog coverage. The aftermarket came in somewhat stronger than expected, and we saw increased service activity in Q4, although the overall aftermarket share is down from 57% in 2024 to 53% of revenue in Q4.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace delivered revenues of NOK 7.9 billion, up 44% from Q4 last year. A significant share of the growth in this quarter was driven by higher delivery volumes across missile, air defense and counter-UAS. Around NOK 600 million of the increase are effects from timing and accelerated deliveries originally planned for 2026.
Kongsberg Discovery grew revenues by 16%, coming in at NOK 1.4 billion. The main drivers for the increased revenues were deliveries of drone detection radars as well as high activity related to strong AUV sales. The group delivered operating results of NOK 2.5 billion at a margin of 14.7%. This is a strong improvement versus Q4 2024, increasing EBIT by NOK 730 million and the margin by 2.2 percentage points.
Profitability improved due to a favorable project mix and scaling driven by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. Kongsberg Maritime delivered NOK 0.84 billion and a margin of 11%. This is an improvement from NOK 0.76 billion in the corresponding quarter last year. The margin was in line with last year, but adjusting for the portfolio changes, the margin improved by approximately 1 percentage point.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace came in at NOK 1.48 billion with a margin of 18.7% compared to NOK 0.81 billion and 14.7% last year. The increase in the EBIT margin was driven by a favorable project mix and strong volumes in the quarter. Kongsberg Discovery reported NOK 0.25 billion and a margin of 17.5%. This is up from NOK 0.23 billion at an 18.4% margin in Q4 last year. The margin reduction compared with the fourth quarter last year is mainly due to the project mix and more in line with the expected deliveries going forward.
Total contribution from associated companies was NOK 380 million in Q4 compared to NOK 276 million in Q4 last year. Our 2 largest associated companies are Kongsberg Satellite Services and Patria. Kongsberg Satellite Services delivered revenues of NOK 667 million in Q4, which is 16% above last year. For the full year, KSAT delivered NOK 2.4 billion in revenues, representing a year-on-year growth of 6%. The EBIT for the quarter is NOK 127 million and NOK 482 million for the full year, and we're pleased to see the improved profitability for KSAT.
Patria reported a very strong Q4 with EUR 518 million in revenues and an EBIT margin at 15.2%. Both the revenue growth at 49% and the solid EBIT benefited from ramp-up of vehicle production. The EBIT also includes strong contribution from Patria's subsidiaries. I would like to remind you that we report 4 months in the fourth quarter from Patria. For the full year, Patria delivered revenues of EUR 1.1 billion with operating results of EUR 116 million.
Both KSAT and Patria reported significant increase in the order backlog this quarter, driven by large order intake related to the European defense market. Patria signed in December 2 serial contracts with Germany on Patria 6x6 vehicles and the NEMO mortar systems, which represent the largest single deal in Patria's history, and the current order backlog is at EUR 3.5 billion.
The backlog from our associated companies are currently not recognized in Kongsberg's reported backlog. The improved performance from associated companies contributed to solid net earnings at NOK 2.3 billion, an increase of 58% from the same quarter last year. 2025 has been a year of exceptional cash conversion for Kongsberg. Cash position at year-end was NOK 21 billion for the group compared to NOK 14 billion when entering the year.
This is driven by strong operating results and supported by the improved working capital in all business areas. In terms of outflows, capacity investments continue at a high level and the dividend at NOK 3.9 billion was paid out last year. Tax amounted to NOK 1.4 billion for the full year 2025. On several defense contracts, we received prepayments to secure supplier deliveries and long lead items.
Our capital allocation principles are key to operating responsibly and securing continuous profitable growth. #1 priority is a solid balance sheet, and we aim to remain investment grade. Secondly, we invest for organic growth and to deliver on our order backlog.
At the Capital Markets Day in June 2024, we said we would invest up to 15% in R&D and property plant and equipment investments. NOK 3.1 billion or 5.5% of revenues were spent on Kongsberg-funded R&D in 2025. The majority of these initiatives are in Kongsberg Maritime, which accounts for NOK 1.8 billion or 6.7% of revenue. In Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, a larger share of the R&D is customer financed. NOK 2.4 billion or 4.3% of revenue was spent on property, plant and equipment investments, the majority of which is related to capacity increases in Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
We aim to deliver healthy shareholder remuneration. Kongsberg's dividend policy is to pay a stable or growing ordinary dividend. For 2025, the Board will propose to return NOK 5 billion to shareholders. I will come back to the details on the next slide. Going forward, Kongsberg Maritime will aim for a relative dividend policy, where the payout ratio will be suggested at 40% to 60% of net earnings after tax, and we believe this is more suitable for Kongsberg Maritime's nature of business.
And we perform active portfolio management to develop our business and the ability to create value going forward. In 2025, the largest initiative is, of course, the ongoing demerger and listing of Kongsberg Maritime. In addition to that, we have closed the following transactions: sale of steering gear and rudder, acquisition of Naxys Technologies and the transfer of the Digital Marine business from Kongsberg Digital to Kongsberg Maritime.
We have announced a joint venture with Thales Norway on the crypto and defense communication business as well as the U.S. acquisitions of Sonatech and Zone 5 Technologies amounting to approximately NOK 6 billion. As mentioned on the previous slide, the Board of Directors has decided to propose to return NOK 5 billion in dividends, representing 63% of net earnings. This corresponds to NOK 5.7 per share, NOK 3.5 per share will be in excess of the company's ordinary dividend policy.
When considering our performance, outlook and solid foundation, the Board proposes to raise the floor on ordinary dividends with another 10% to NOK 2.2 per share. The dividend is to be paid out on the 22nd of April 2026. And with that, I will leave the floor to Geir for the last time for some final remarks.
Thank you, Mette. You should have a glass of water. Yes. I think we have already touched on our solid position and also some of our outlooks. Kongsberg Maritime will start its journey as a stand-alone company from a very solid foundation with an order backlog worth NOK 28 billion on top of healthy and innovative operation, delivering into a market where the company continues to confirm its position as an enabler for the ongoing transition.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery that together will form Kongsberg going forward, have close to NOK 130 billion order backlog. And we also continue to see strong demand for the advanced solutions from both the military and the commercial market. In June 2024, at our Capital Market Day, we set out an ambitious plan to triple Kongsberg's revenues over the next 10 years. The results for 2025 shows that we have started on the fast track and already have made solid steps to deliver on this ambition.
We have built a strong foundation to continue this development as 2 separate companies. And as Jan Erik started with later today, the future CEO of Kongsberg Maritime, Lisa Haugan; and Eirik Lie, who will take the role as CEO in Kongsberg from mid-April, will give you a more detailed overview of the 2 businesses. And the purpose of these presentations is to give you a broader overview of the 2 companies setup, the markets as well as some of the prospects going forward.
The 2 companies has already started to work on and paving out their strategies going forward. And the result of this, including the future ambitions for the 2 companies will be presented on the respective Capital Market Days planned for June this year.
And with that, I will open up for some Q&A, and Mette will join me.
We have a question from Hans-Erik Jacobsen, Arctic.
You just received a significant order in Poland for C-UAS system. Can you explain a little bit about the potential for more orders? I guess it's not only Poland that wants protection.
This is, of course, I would say, let's say, a start of the counter UAS setup in Europe. Poland is a very important customer for us, and this is a major, let's say, start-up. I would believe that with all the attention that we see around both counter UAS protection that there will be other nations interesting to follow this project. This is a rather fast-track project.
And Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery have, I would say, a very good position in that race. So it's going to be -- this will give us new opportunities. I'm quite sure about that.
We'll take a question from one of the viewers from Martin Granviken, Kepler. It goes to the CFO. With a full year EBITDA margin uplift of approximately 1.5% for KDA, what does the current backlog mix suggest for fiscal year '26 when it comes to margins and EBITDA outlook?
Well, we have, of course, delivered above expectations on the margin and especially in Q4 due to accelerated deliveries on some of the missile projects and also air defense. Of course, we are still in a ramp-up phase. So we're still working on scaling the business. So our margins will be more in line with what we have seen over the cycle, over the quarters for the next year as well.
It's one more question from Mr. Granviken with regards to the expanded missile factory capacity. What is the time line ramp-up plans for the new missile capacities in Australia and in the U.S. And when does that start to translate into incremental deliveries?
For the Australian facility, we will start -- the plan is that we will be up and running, I would say, end of 2027. And then obviously, it will be a ramp-up period throughout '28. So hopefully, I think we will see that we are full rate production within '28. That is the intention. U.S. is a little bit slower, but I believe also that we will see that we are ready to produce in U.S. end of '27, beginning of '28 and then the follow ramp-up will be the same. So it's really a good plan for -- make sure that we are able to deliver on our backlogs.
We have a question from Lukas Daul, Arctic Securities. With regards to the 2026 guidance you gave on revenues. Can you confirm the divisional split of that?
Yes. I confirm that the -- when we're looking at the legacy Kongsberg and the current divisional split that we are looking at a growth in 2026 broadly in line with what has been delivered in 2025.
And a question from [ Martin ]. What is the time line for adding new and lower-cost missiles to eventually NASAMs or others?
I think I will leave that question to Eirik Lie, who will present the plans later this morning. But definitely, there are plans there. But Eirik will come on shortly, so he can probably elaborate on that.
And with regards to the upcoming demerger, can you elaborate and repeat a little bit around the rationale behind spinning off Kongsberg Maritime?
Yes. As we have said many times, Kongsberg has changed, I would say, the last 5 to 10 years. And definitely, the world around us has changed. And I think the business and the portfolio in Kongsberg has changed. Obviously, we are addressing different markets. There are, I would say, different requirements when it comes to how we set up and make decisions and do strategic prioritization.
So the rationale here is actually to become -- have a more, I would say, focused management Board of Directors that make us more agile that we can navigate faster in a changing world. It's very unpredictable out there. Things are moving fast, and we have to be really agile to be able to address that market. Something you would add? No?
Thank you. And while we wait to see if there are any final questions, I would also like to inform that after this presentation, it will be a break until 09:30 before we continue with the company presentations. So any final questions from the audience? If not, I'll leave the word to you again, Geir.
Yes. So as I started with, this will be my last quarter presenting Kongsberg. It has been a pleasure, and thank you for joining us here today, and I look forward to see you later. Thank you.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q4 2025 Earnings Call
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q3 2025 Earnings Call
1. Management Discussion
Good morning, and welcome to the presentation of Kongsberg's Third Quarter 2025 results. This is a webcast-only presentation, but questions submitted through the webcast will be answered towards the end of the presentation. Today's presentation will be given to you by President and CEO, Geir Haoy, as well as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mette Toft Bjorgen. Questions regarding the proposed demerger will not be answered in this webcast, but will be addressed at the press conference later today.
And with that, I'll give the floor to Geir Haoy.
Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the third quarter presentation 2025. It is a pleasure for Mette and myself to present another strong quarter for Kongsberg.
Before I go into the third quarter results, let me start with the comments on another important announcement this morning, which I guess many of you have already seen. The Board of Directors has proposed to demerge Kongsberg Maritime. In recent years, increased geopolitical tension and trade wars have characterized the global landscape. This affects our business areas differently and underscores the importance of positioning our areas as effectively as possible.
Kongsberg Maritime holds a leading technology position and offers products and integrated solutions for a wide range of segments from offshore vessels to merchant fleet and the naval segment. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery address critical needs within defense, security and surveillance, delivering solutions for both civilian and defense applications. The Board of Kongsberg has then proposed to demerge Kongsberg Maritime and list it as a separate maritime technology company on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery will continue as a technology and defense company, Kongsberg. Separately, the companies will have better navigation opportunities and execution capabilities within their respective markets. This will provide additional competitive strength in the effort to create value in a world where security and sustainability will be dominant for decades.
We will come back to more details during a press conference that is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Norwegian time. The Q&A session following this Q3 presentation will focus on the third quarter performance, and we would like you to address questions regarding the proposed demerger to the press conference later today.
And with that, it's time to dive into the third quarter. We have delivered another quarter with growing revenues and solid profitability. Book-to-bill is well above 1 in all business areas and is a good indication of continued growth going forward as well. We are experiencing strong demand for our energy-efficient solutions from the vessel market. And despite shipyards receiving fewer orders for new vessels compared to last year, the vessels being ordered are more advanced. There have also been a positive developments in markets where Kongsberg has strong positions, such as the offshore market.
Drones and counter-drone defense have been a topic of high attention over the past year. We deliver systems related to this both from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery. In August 2023, Kongsberg signed a contract for the delivery of CORTEX Typhon counter-drone systems. The first system was delivered and operational within 1 year after signing, and the contract has since been expanded. Over the past year, we have also launched our own drone radar. This was developed in Kongsberg Discovery with the purpose of detecting small commercial available drones and has quickly become a product that has attracted significant interest from both civilian and defense customer.
Kongsberg is well equipped to meet existing and new needs in a world characterized by rapid change. With global presence, close cooperation with authorities, customers and suppliers and an organization driven by high competence and innovation, we continue to create value by delivering solutions that make a difference for our customers and partners.
So over to the business areas. We continue to see a strong order intake from newbuilds in Kongsberg Maritime. So far in 2025, newbuild order intake is up 46% compared to the same period last year. Despite the number of vessels contracted from the yards being down compared to last year, we emphasize that the current contracting favors our exposure. During Q3, order intake was especially strong from the offshore segment. Among others, we signed a contract with Reach Subsea for the design, construction and delivery of 2 additional unmanned surface vessels, vessels number 3 and 4, expanding the pioneering Reach Remote fleet.
This contract reflects a growing industry with confidence in remote and autonomous technologies. For the past couple of years, the strong growth in Maritime has come from aftermarket sales. The sales mix this year has changed more towards newbuilds, which continues to increase our order backlog. We have also previously emphasized that yard capacity is stretched in the short term. On the positive side, the current strong contracting increased the longer-term visibility for us. The backlog for delivery next year is 40% higher than corresponding backlog coverage a year ago.
European defense investments have increased and is expected to continue to increase going forward. Over the past years, we have seen the number and size of orders coming from both Norway as well as the rest of Europe are increasing. In 2023 and 2024, the combined defense revenue from Europe, including Norway, amounted to approximately 50% of our total defense revenue. Looking at our current backlog, 72% of the orders are for deliveries to European customers, including Norway. Our European exposure is expected to stay strong, and we continue to see increased demand, both when it comes to missiles and air defense, including counter-drone capabilities. We have already delivered counter-UAS systems that are deployed in Ukraine, and we are actively working on several leads around the subject. The order backlog coverage for Defence & Aerospace continues to strengthen both in short, medium and long term. And with the strong position we have towards the defense priorities in NATO, we expect the trend to continue to pave the road for further strong growth in the coming years.
In Kongsberg Discovery, order intake year-to-date is up 27% compared to last year. We continue experiencing strong demand for our sensors and underwater technologies and the pipeline continues to be solid, both in the civilian and the defense market, making me very confident of a positive development going forward. An important take when looking at Kongsberg Discovery's order intake year-to-date is the increased exposure towards defense. At Q3 last year, defense contract accounted for approximately 90% of the total, while corresponding figures now is 27% of a NOK 900 million higher total. For the remaining year, Kongsberg have already secured NOK 14 billion worth of orders for deliveries. This is more than NOK 2.6 billion above corresponding number a year ago and indicating growth also in the last quarter of 2025. The main driver will be defense-related revenues.
And with that, I leave the floor to Mette to take us through the financial status.
Thank you, Geir, and good morning to all of you joining us for this Q3 presentation. I'm happy to once again present a quarter which demonstrates solid and profitable growth for Kongsberg. I will now take you through the financial highlights.
For the third quarter, Kongsberg delivered a total of NOK 13.3 billion in revenues with a year-on-year increase of 12%. The growth this quarter comes from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, which achieved an impressive 38% growth compared to Q3 last year. The largest revenue contributors were missile projects in air defense with the coastal defense system to Poland being the largest project this quarter. Capacity ramp-up is progressing according to plan, which is key to deliver on the growing order backlog for this business area.
Kongsberg Maritime delivered revenues of NOK 6.39 billion, a year-on-year decline of 1%. In 2025, 2 changes have been made to the business areas portfolio, impacting operating revenues and results. These changes include the divestment of the steering gear and rudder business and the integration of Kongsberg Digital's maritime portfolio. In addition, Q3 2024 was impacted by approximately NOK 100 million in one-offs related to reduced risk in specific projects. Adjusted for these effects, Kongsberg Maritime has an underlying growth of about 2% in the quarter.
The growth was driven by increased delivery volumes to new vessels in several different vessel segments. Currently, the newbuilding market is growing more than the aftermarket, which in the third quarter accounted for 52% of the revenues compared to 56% last year. Newbuilding order intake typically has a longer conversion time to revenue. We expect this shift to lead to a temporarily slower growth rate in the second half of 2025. Going into 2026, we expect growth from Maritime to pick up as we capitalize on the strong order backlog and convert newbuildings orders to revenues.
Kongsberg Discovery delivered NOK 1.1 billion in revenues, 2% below Q3 last year. As previously stated, the contribution from autonomous underwater vehicles will fluctuate between quarters due to the timing of project milestones and deliveries. With a 27% increase in the order intake year-to-date compared to last year, we are confident in the growth for Kongsberg Discovery going forward. The group achieved a quarterly EBIT of NOK 2 billion, representing an EBIT margin of 15.2%. The third quarter typically delivers higher margins due to holiday effects. Compared to last year, EBIT is improved by NOK 155 million and adjusting for the NOK 100 million one-off in Kongsberg Maritime in Q3 last year, the EBIT margin has improved by 0.3 percentage points. Kongsberg Maritime delivered an EBIT of NOK 0.99 billion with a corresponding margin of 15.4%. In Q3 last year, the EBIT was NOK 1.11 billion. Adjusting for the portfolio changes and the one-off in Q3 last year, the EBIT margin in Q3 2025 is at the same level as the underlying EBIT margin in Q3 2024.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace delivered NOK 0.87 billion in EBIT with a margin of 14.8%. This compares to NOK 0.69 billion and a margin of 16.2% in Q3 2024. As previously stated, defense margins will fluctuate between quarters depending on project mix and delivery milestones. Kongsberg Discovery reported NOK 0.21 billion and a margin of 19%. This is up from NOK 0.17 billion and 14.9% margin in Q3 last year. Favorable project mix and strong project execution contributed to the increased margins.
We ended Q3 with a solid cash position of NOK 15.76 billion, an increase of NOK 1.38 billion compared to Q2. As working capital remained stable quarter-on-quarter, the increase in cash was primarily driven by EBITDA, which came in at NOK 2.45 billion. Our investment level increased slightly this quarter as we continue to invest in capacity expansion. As mentioned at the Capital Markets Day last year, we expect this level to be maintained for the next years.
Total contribution from associated companies was NOK 124 million in Q3. Our 2 largest associated companies are Kongsberg Satellite Services and Patria. Kongsberg Satellite Services delivered revenues of NOK 562 million in Q3, which is in line with last year. EBIT in the quarter is NOK 140 million with a corresponding EBIT margin of 24.9%. This is an improvement from last year and a result of favorable project mix and execution. The order backlog is NOK 5.2 billion.
Patria reported 39% revenue growth in the third quarter compared to the same quarter last year. The growth was primarily driven by deliveries of armored vehicles. So far, 7 members have joined the CAVS 6x6 vehicle program as Norway and U.K. signed up this quarter. EBIT improved from last year due to scaling effects and increased positive contribution from Nammo. Going forward, we expect Patria to continue to grow with the same seasonality effects that we have seen in previous years and with most of the profits towards the end of the year. Patria's order backlog has increased to EUR 2.6 billion. The improved performance from associated companies contributed to a solid increase in net earnings from NOK 1.4 billion to NOK 1.7 billion, up 24% from the same quarter last year.
And with that, I will leave the floor to Geir for some final remarks.
Thank you, Mette. As we approach the end of this presentation, I would like to summarize the outlook going forward. We continue to be exposed to major global trends across all our business areas. Our products and services, which are based on advanced technology, system integration and years of experience are highly valued in their respective markets. For Kongsberg Maritime, despite the general slowdown in contracted vessels at the yards, our win rate is strong, and we continue to build order backlog. Kongsberg Maritime has a unique combination of product and solutions that are integrated into systems based on our deep domain knowledge.
The maritime industry is at the start of a major energy transition, and we believe Kongsberg Maritime will play an important role in driving this change. The transition towards renewable energy is not only about fuel. It's about making the operations safer, more efficient and reducing costs, which have been on Kongsberg Maritime's agenda for decades.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has a record high order backlog that stretches well into the next decade. We have made significant investment in increased production capacity to meet this demand. And these facilities are progressing as planned. Tendering and marketing activities remain very high and our defense solutions, particularly within missiles and air defense, but also remotely operated turrets and naval are experiencing significant demand globally. Defense spending will increase in the years to come, and Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace will continue to contribute to strengthening of the defense capabilities in Norway and for our allies.
Kongsberg Discovery operates in segments that are increasingly high on the global agenda. Securing critical infrastructure above and below sea level is of utmost importance and the business area delivering cutting-edge solutions to help solve these challenges. In total, at the end of Q3, we have an order backlog of NOK 142 billion and more than NOK 14 billion for delivery in the last quarter of 2025.
As I have mentioned, we have also announced a proposed major strategic move on the path of realizing our long-term growth ambition, that is to demerge Kongsberg Maritime and list it as a maritime technology company on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery will continue as a technology and defense company, Kongsberg. And we invite you to a press conference today at 9:30 local time to give further information on this proposal. The press conference will be held in Norwegian with English translation and a transcript will be made available in English. Again, we ask that questions regarding the proposed demerger are directed to the press conference.
And with that, I'd like to open for Q&A from our viewers. Thank you.
Thank you. I would also like to remind that we host a conference call for investors and analysts at 11:15 today. So you will find information about that in today's press release. We have a question from Fabian Jørgensen, Pareto. You stated that the Kongsberg Maritime growth will pick up in 2026. Do you mean revenues or orders? And can you elaborate a little bit around that?
Sure. Well, as I mentioned, we are now shifting towards a higher share of newbuilding. And just to also emphasize what Geir said, Kongsberg Maritime has an all-time record high order backlog at the moment, and it's a very good market for newbuilding vessels. So we see that revenue growth will start to pick up in 2026, when we're also done with the portfolio effects that actually took place in the beginning of this year.
Thank you. And then a question from Martin Granviken, Kepler. Last quarter, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace order intake was NOK 9.8 billion, including a missile contract of NOK 6.5 billion. This quarter, order intake is NOK 7.3 billion with one contract announced of USD 118 million. What is the remaining order intake residual?
Well, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace had a significant order intake when it came to air defense and anti-drone systems. And also a lot of smaller orders for this business area in this quarter. But air defense and anti-drone systems was also main orders from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
Thank you. And it seems like that is the final question from the viewers. Very clear.
Okay. Thank you very much. And then we look forward to see all of you in the press conference later today. Thank you so much.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA — Q3 2025 Earnings Call
Financial data from Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
Revenue
Revenue is the sum of all sales generated by a company, e.g. for its products or services.
Revenue (TTM) metric explainedDirect Costs
Direct costs are the costs incurred directly in connection with the manufacture of the product or service.
Gross Profit
Gross Profit indicates how much of the revenue remains in the company after deducting direct production costs. If the percentage share of sales is calculated, this is referred to as the gross margin.
Gross Profit metric explainedSelling and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) include all expenses for marketing and sales as well as the general administration of the company.
Research and Development Expense
Research and development costs (R&D) provide information on how much the company invests in the research and development of its products. The costs are particularly interesting as a percentage of revenue and in comparison to direct competitors.
EBITDA
EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) is the company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The EBITDA margin is calculated as a percentage of sales.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation represents reductions in the value of the company's assets (e.g. due to wear and tear on machinery).
EBIT (Operating Income)
EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) is the company's profit before interest and taxes, also known as the operating income. The EBIT Margin is calculated as a percentage of sales at
.
Net Profit
Net Profit represents the profit or loss after deduction of all costs.
Net Profit metric explainedStocksGuide Premium
| Jun '26 |
+/-
%
|
||
| Revenue | 41,722 41,722 |
21%
21%
100%
|
|
| - Direct Costs | - - |
-
-
|
|
| Gross Profit | - - |
-
-
|
|
| - Selling and Administrative Expenses | - - |
-
-
|
|
| - Research and Development Expense | - - |
-
-
|
|
| EBITDA | 8,206 8,206 |
7%
7%
20%
|
|
| - Depreciation and Amortization | 1,460 1,460 |
8%
8%
3%
|
|
| EBIT (Operating Income) EBIT | 6,746 6,746 |
7%
7%
16%
|
|
| Net Profit | 7,337 7,337 |
9%
9%
18%
|
|
In millions NOK.
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Kongsberg Gruppen ASA Stock News
Company Profile
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA engages in delivering technology systems and solutions to clients within the oil and gas industry, merchant marine, defence, and aerospace. It operates through the following segments: Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, and Other. The Kongsberg Maritime segment develops and delivers positioning, surveillance, navigation, and automation systems for merchant vessels and the offshore industry. The Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace segment supplies products and systems for command and control, weapons guidance and surveillance, communications solutions, and missiles. The Other segment consists of Kongsberg Digital, external revenues from the real estate business, corporate functions, and eliminations between the business areas. The company was founded by Poul Steenstru on March 20, 1814 and is headquartered in Kongsberg, Norway.
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| Head office | Norway |
| CEO | Mr. Haoy |
| Employees | 7,586 |
| Founded | 1814 |
| Website | www.kongsberg.com |


