The US Navy and Marine Corps have signed a contract with Kongsberg to supply its Naval Strike Missile (NSM) under a five-year procurement period.
The deal is valued at 10 billion kroner ($146 million) and could reach up to about 12 billion kroner ($146 million) if future requirements are matched.
“This contract is the largest missile contract in Kongsberg’s history and an important milestone for us,” said Geir Håøy, CEO of Kongsberg.
Features
The Norwegian Navy deployed the NSM missile for the first time in 2012.
It features an Autonomous Target Recognition system and a missile seeker, allowing it to identify and accurately engage targets.
Specifications include a high subsonic speed, a weight of 407 kilograms (897 pounds), a length of 3.9 meters (12 feet), and the capability to hit targets at 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 kilometers) away.
Increasing Demand
Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg, said that there is an increasing demand “for our strike missiles across NATO and allied nations, which is why we have opened a new missile factory in Norway and announced two facilities in Australia and the US this year.”
In September, the Norwegian firm announced that it is building a new NSM and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM) production facility in James City County, Virginia.
Australia procured the Kongsberg anti-ship missile in January 2023 to replace the Harpoon on the Navy’s Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers.
In June, the Royal Australian Navy equipped its Hobart-class destroyer with the NSM after signing a procurement deal with Kongsberg last year.
In 2023, Spain awarded a 305-million-euro ($334 million) contract for the Norwegian company to supply its missile for the Spanish Navy’s F110-class fleet.