Kongsberg Gruppen

Infobox Company
company_name = Kongsberg Gruppen ASA
company_
company_type = Public
foundation = 1814
location = Kongsberg, Norway
key_people = Walter Qvam (CEO)
area_served = Global
industry = Military and maritime systems
products =
revenue = profit NOK 8,306 million (2007)
operating_income =
net_income = profit NOK 685 million (2007)
num_employees = 4,650 (July 2008)
parent =
subsid = Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
Kongsberg Maritime
homepage = http://www.kongsberg.com
footnotes =

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

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

History

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

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

See also

*List of oldest companies
*Kongsberg Colt
*M1 Abrams TUSK Kit (M1 Abrams tank with "Kongsberg Gruppen" remote-control MG turret)

External links

* [http://www.kongsberg.com/eng/kog/ Corporate website]
* [http://www.km.kongsberg.com Kongsberg Maritime]
* [http://www.kongsberg.com/eng/kda/ Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace]