Kongsberg awarded $960 million missile contract
Littoral Combat Ship USS Gabrielle Giffords launches an NSM, a key weapon for the ship.. (Photo: USN)
The contract could rise to as much as US$1.1 billion and follows an announcement last month that Kongsberg was building a missile production facility in the US to meet burgeoning global demand.
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace has been awarded a NOK10.7 billion (US$960 million) contract to supply Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) to the US Navy (USN) and US Marine Corps (USMC).
The contract includes an option which could take the value up to NOK12 billion.
The NSM is central to the USN’s Over-the-Horizon Weapons System (OTH-WS) programme and is being installed on Littoral Combat Ships and Constellation-class frigates. Kongsberg is also delivering NSM to the USMC as a key component of its Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System Programme.
In September the company said the new facility would be near a USN base in James City County, Virginia and would also make Joint Strike Missiles. Earlier in the same month the company officially opened a facility for missile manufacture in Adelaide in South Australia.
Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, said the large order would provide the company and suppliers with stability.
“This contract is an example of the strong demand we see for our strike missiles across NATO and allied nations, which is why we this year have opened a new missile factory in Norway and announced two facilities in Australia and the US,” Lie noted.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Constellation Class - FFG(X) (11-20)
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Australia’s A$12 billion Perth shipyard upgrade offers positive sign for AUKUS]()
Australia’s A$12 billion Perth shipyard upgrade offers positive sign for AUKUS
While the Australian government insists the investment is predominantly aimed at strengthening the country’s defence capabilities, the upgrade also bodes well for the AUKUS pact which Australia’s defence minister said “is going well”.
-
![DSEI 2025: Red Cat expands into USV production with focus on combat-proven technology]()
DSEI 2025: Red Cat expands into USV production with focus on combat-proven technology
At DSEI 2025, Red Cat outlines its expansion from UAVs into uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), positioning itself as a multi-domain defence provider spanning land, sea, and air.
-
![Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract]()
Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.
-
![Royal Canadian Navy will start operating class 2 UAVs in 2028]()
Royal Canadian Navy will start operating class 2 UAVs in 2028
Acquired under Canada’s Department of National Defence ISTAR UAS project, the drones will be deployed from the Halifax-class frigates.
-
![US Navy prepares next step of the F-35 Block 4 upgrade while GAO predicts acquisition delays]()
US Navy prepares next step of the F-35 Block 4 upgrade while GAO predicts acquisition delays
The US Navy published a pre-solicitation notice of intent for the third phase of the F-35 Reprogramming Verification & Validation System. Meanwhile, with a five-year delay in its schedule, GAO foresees more postponements in the completion of the Block 4 effort.
