Famed missile maker Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS signed two contracts, valued at MNOK 1,426 ($167 million), with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (FMA).
According to a company news release, it will deliver a new batch of Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to the Norwegian Navy’s frigates and corvettes.
The existing inventory of missiles will go through a series of maintenance actions to extend their operational timeline and continue providing state-of-the-art defense capabilities for the Navy.
«The triangular collaboration between KONGSBERG, the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) is the key to our ability to develop such advanced and complex systems. We are also very proud to sign a maintenance agreement that will extend the missile’s shelf life, ensuring that the Navy will remain operational with this important capability. Contracts such as this support KONGSBERG’s and FMA’s sustainability goals, and helps to secure further employment, not only for our employees but also for our national subcontractors. We cannot produce nor deliver such advanced and state-of-the-art products alone,” says Øyvind Kolset, Executive Vice President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
Kongsberg says the Naval Strike Missile is a fifth-generation missile with a low radar signature for use in sea-to-sea or sea-to-land defense. The missile, with its superior performance, can go up against well-defended targets with the ability to penetrate the most advanced air defense.
NSM is set up with integrated sensors to locate exact targets to engage, and will self-destruct if it is unable to locate its intended target – a build-in safety mechanism avoiding collateral damage.
