Norwegian defence supplier Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed an initial contract valued at NOK 489 million ($48.4 million) with the Commonwealth of Australia for Naval Strike Missile (NSM) capability.
Developed in Norway, Kongsberg’s NSM is a fifth-generation, long-range, precision strike missile designed to defeat heavily protected maritime targets in contested environments.
The NSM is a very flexible system, which can be launched from a variety of platforms against a variety of targets on sea and land.
The missile is completely passive and has sea-skimming capabilities. With its advanced terminal maneuvers, it will survive the enemy air defence.
The autonomous target recognition (ATR) of the seeker ensures that the correct target is detected, recognized and hit, at sea or on land.
The order income is booked in the second quarter of 2022, according to Kongsberg.
In April this year, the Australian Government announced the accelerated acquisition of the NSM to replace the Harpoon anti-ship missile on the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers.
The government approved the accelerated acquisition of improved weapon capabilities for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at a total cost of $3.5 billion.
Starting in 2024, Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers will have the NSM capability installed.