In the 1980s, Norway began developing a new anti-aircraft missile system to replace its outdated Improved Hawk systems. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, a Norwegian company, collaborated with Raytheon Missiles & Defense, an American company, on the project.

They chose the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile with active radar homing as the main weapon. For its ground application, they created a towed launcher for six containers. The upgraded AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar provided target detection and guidance. Live-fire tests of the system were conducted in June 1993. The first production version of NASAMS 1 reached initial operational capability in late 1994 – early 1995 and began delivery to the Norwegian Air Force. Full deployment was completed by 1998. The system was subsequently upgraded to NASAMS 2 and received improved control systems and support for the Link 16 data exchange channel.

The first NASAMS 3 systems entered service with the U.S. in 2019. This version features updated controls and a redesigned Mk. 2 launcher that can fire AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II and AMRAAM-ER missiles.

The Norwegian NASAMS 3 (TADS) was introduced in Update 2.53 "Line of Contact", as a part of the U.S. ground research tree. The NASAMS system consists of three components: The Target Acquisition and Designation Sight (TADS) and two Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL) with missiles. The Sentinel radar can detect targets up to 20 km away. However, the TADS vehicle has weak protection against shrapnel and carries no weapons. Therefore, special attention should be paid to camouflaging it before use, as the whole system is considered disabled if the radar is destroyed.