Norway plays an important role in space exploration for key military space facilities used by the US, including the Globus II radar in Finnmark County, sometimes referred to as the world's most advanced radar for tracking satellites.
In recent years, the Chinese intelligence service has succeeded in obtaining advanced Norwegian technology several times, the Scandinavian country's intelligence service has stressed, warning that China is en route to becoming “a military superpower in Norway's neighbourhood”.
“With growing interest in the Arctic, we believe that China will continue to influence the situation, even in our proximity”, the head of the intelligence service, Lieutenant General Morten Haga Lunde, said, as quoted by national broadcaster NRK.
According to Haga Lunde, advanced technology with military application is especially sought after.
For instance, the Andøya Space Centre at Andenes in Nordland County, which is vying to become the first in Europe to launch satellites, has admittedly noticed penetration attempts.
“We notice that the interest and awareness of our sector is only getting bigger, even when it comes to penetration attempts”, Odd Roger Enoksen, Managing Director of the Andøya Space Centre, told High North News.