Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings
The StrikeMaster NSM CDS system has successfully fired a test missile. (Photo: Kongsberg)
Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.
The Australian government late last year launched an initiative to buy a mobile ground-based long-range fires system which would be used to provide capability from the country’s north-west approaches.
Two options are on the table: the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher vehicle and the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) fired from the StrikeMaster launcher vehicle.
The selection is expected to be made this year through a competitive evaluation process. It will build on a commitment made in the government’s 2024 National Defence Strategy which is part
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