Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has signed a major contract with the Commonwealth of Australia for Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and support equipment.
In 2022, the Commonwealth of Australia announced the selection of KONGSBERG NSMs to replace the Harpoon anti-ship missile capability under accelerated procurement under Project SEA1300.
The Royal Australian Navy’s ANZAC-class frigates and HOBART-class destroyers, scheduled to enter service in 2024, will be the first ships to feature the NSM capabilities.
“This is an important milestone on the path to providing a modern, effective and survivable precision strike missile capability for the Royal Australian Navy.
The execution of this contract will be achieved through close collaboration between Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Australian industry, and the Commonwealth,” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.
Australia is a key customer, and KONGSBERG is committed to building sovereign national capabilities to support its systems through knowledge transfer and manufacturing opportunities in Australia.
This contract will have significant Australian content for a program delivered through Kongsberg Defense Australia and its growing network of Australian suppliers.
Norwegian researchers created the KONGSBERG NSM, a long-range, fifth-generation precision strike weapon with the primary purpose of attacking ground targets in highly contested maritime settings.
Naval Strike Missile (NSM)
When launched from more than 100 nautical miles away, the Naval Strike Missile can precisely target and sink enemy vessels. It uses inertial navigation, GPS, terrain reference, and infrared targeting (with a database of targets on board the missile). The NSM is a very flexible system that can be launched from various platforms against various targets on land and sea.
The airframe design and high thrust-to-weight ratio give the NSM extremely good maneuverability. The missile is completely passive and has demonstrated its excellent sea dodge capabilities, and with its advanced terminal maneuvers, it will survive enemy air defenses.
Autonomous Target Recognition (ATR) in the seeker ensures that only the intended target is identified and engaged, whether at sea or on land.
The Naval Strike Missile is a long-range precision strike weapon that hunts out and destroys enemy vessels beyond 100 nautical miles. The NSM reached initial operational capability on the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates and the Norwegian Skjold-class corvettes in 2012.
Norway, Poland, Malaysia, Germany, the United States (for the US Navy and USMC), Romania, Canada, Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom are just some of the navies that have purchased the Naval Strike Missile. The Netherlands became the eleventh and final client in December 2022.