Lockheed & Kongsberg Partner to Bring NSM to JSF
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In a move that has been brewing since early 2005, Lockheed Martin and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace just entered into a Joint Marketing Agreement to market an air-launched version of Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile, which had a pair of successful tests in California recently. This “Joint Strike Missile (JSM)” is designed to be carried and launched internally from the F-35 Lightning II fighter’s internal bays (2 missiles), or external hardpoints. The 1,000-pound, stealth-enhanced NSM missiles are a generation beyond the USA’s GM-8 Harpoon, with a 130 nautical mile operational range. The missile uses Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance plus an imaging infrared seeker, in-flight data link and an automatic target recognizer (ATR). Then it strikes ships or land targets with a titanium warhead and programmable fuze.
Kongsberg brings experience in anti-ship missiles, weapons integration, target recognition software and mission planning systems to the partnership. Lockheed Martin will bring its experience in air-launched missiles, target recognition software, mission planning systems, integration of weapons into fixed-wing aircraft like its F-16 & F-35, F-22 et. al., and of course its marketing reach. Lockheed has a similar land-attack product in its AGM-158 JASSM, and other competitors exist from MBDA’s Storm Shadow/Scalp to EADS/KEPD’s Taurus to Raytheon’s anti-ship and land attack SLAM-ER. Nevertheless, the partnership may help to tip Norway’s coming fighter choice toward the F-35. The prospect of stealth-enhancing internal carriage, plus out of the gate integration with the F-35 Lightning II, could also give the JSM an entry hook for F-35 customers; Kongsberg adds that the adaptation study is being funded Norway and Australia. Other potential JSF-linked buyers may include Denmark, The Netherlands, Turkey, et. al. Lockheed Martin release | Kongsberg release.
UPDATES:
May 25/07: Kongsberg announces that the Norwegian Cabinet has recommended serial production and procurement of the new Naval Strike Missile (NSM) for the Norwegian Navy, and it is based on a contract negotiated between Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and the Armed Forces’ Logistics Organisation. Pending the Storting’s parliamentary approval, the final contract is expected to be signed in Q2 2007. It is expected to result in about NOK 2.5 billion (currently about $415 million) in new orders for Kongsberg. See DID coverage.
