Germany has decided to acquire the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for its F-35 fighter jets in a deal with Norway worth approximately 6.5-billion Norwegian kroner ($642 million).
The proposed procurement was approved by the German Parliament on June 4, making Germany the fifth customer of the Kongsberg-developed missile after Norway, Japan, Australia, and the US.
The deal is expected to be signed by the end of the first half of 2025.
Under the government-to-government agreement, Norway will procure the air-to-ground missiles from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace on behalf of Germany.
This acquisition is structured under the same bilateral framework used for Germany’s previous procurement of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Block 1A and the joint development of the next-generation NSM — the SuperSonic Strike Missile Tyrfing.
The two countries have also cooperated under this framework in the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of the new 212CD submarines.
“We are pleased to welcome Germany as the fifth nation to select the JSM for its F-35 fleet,” President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Eirik Lie said.
“The JSM’s navigation system, flight profile and automatic target recognition technology make it a great match for the F-35.”
The missile will be employed on the 35 F-35 aircraft Germany is buying from the US.
Joint Strike Missile
The 4-meter (13-foot) JSM is specifically designed to fit within the F-35’s internal weapons bay, preserving the jet’s stealth and range.
Weighing 416 kilograms (917 pounds), the missile can engage both land and naval targets at a range of approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles).
When operating in low-altitude mode to evade air defenses, its effective range reportedly drops by around half.
The JSM is optimized for anti-surface warfare and naval fire support missions across diverse environments, including open ocean, land, and littoral zones.
It carries a 260-pound (118-kilogram) warhead and uses a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS), Inertial Navigation System, and terrain mapping to maintain navigation even in GPS-denied environments.
Additional features include a two-way data link and an advanced mission planning system that allows operators to exploit land and sea geography for optimized targeting.
