Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace will supply additional Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs) for the US Navy’s Over-The-Horizon Weapon System (OTH WS) program.
Kongsberg received the 328 million Norwegian kroner ($33.3 million) order from Raytheon Missiles & Defense – the US Navy’s prime contractor – for the ship-killing missiles.
The latest deal is part of a larger May 2018 agreement between the navy and Kongsberg totaling 7.8 billion Norwegian kroner ($793 million).
“We register a significant increase in the annual call-offs. This creates jobs and demand for increased production capacity, both for us and our suppliers,” director of the company’s Missile Systems division Øyvind Kolset said.
“As announced at KONGSBERG’s CMD in June, the company has started a significant investment in a new missile factory.”
Targeting Enemy Ships
The NSMs, measuring 3.96 meters (13 feet) long, are long-range precision strike weapons capable of targeting enemy ships at distances up to 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 kilometers).
The missiles are expected to boost the US Navy’s OTH WS program, a long-range, surface-to-surface warfare system designed to engage maritime targets both inside and beyond the radar horizon.
The system consists of an operator interface console, Naval Strike Missile, and the Missile Launching System.
As a stand-alone system, OTH WS requires minimal integration into the host platform. It will instead receive targeting data via tactical communications from combat platforms or airborne sensors and requires no guidance after launch.
