On July 6, 2022, the Norwegian Kongsberg Group announced that in the second quarter of the year it signed an initial contract worth NOK 489 million (US$ 48.5 million) with the Australian government for the supply of NSM (Naval Strike Missile) anti-ship missiles to equip ships of the Australian fleet.
Kongsberg NSM (Naval Strike Missile) Anti-ship Missile (c) Kongsberg
On April 5, 2022, the Australian government announced the accelerated acquisition of NSM Block 1A anti-ship missiles to replace the American Harpoon anti-ship missiles on eight ANZAC-type frigates and three new Hobart-type destroyers of the Australian Navy. The delivery of NSM missiles has been planned since 2024.
The contract signed now is the first stage of the acquisition of the NSM RCC for the Australian fleet, the details of the contract are not disclosed.
The NSM missile has been in service with the Norwegian Navy since 2012. Australia became the sixth known foreign customer of the NSM missile after the USA, Germany, Poland, Romania and Malaysia, in addition, the NSM was provisionally selected as a promising RCC by the fleets of Canada and Indonesia.
Earlier this year, it was also reported that Kongsberg and the Australian branch of the Thales Group (Thales Australia) are jointly developing a StrikeMaster coastal mobile missile system with a two-shot Kongsberg NSM Block 1A anti-ship missile launcher, made on the chassis of the famous Australian Bushmaster PMV (4x4) armored vehicle. The command post of the complex should be similar to that of the Australian version of the NASAMS SAM. The StrikeMaster complex is being developed for the Australian Army's Land 4100 Phase 2 program and for export.
A render image of the Kongsberg NSM Block 1A anti-ship missile launcher on the chassis of the Australian Bushmaster PMV (4x4) armored vehicle of the StrikeMaster advanced coastal mobile missile system, jointly developed by the Kongsberg Group and Thales Australia (c) Thales Australia
Video (from) Naval News about the promotion of Australia's NSM missiles from the Indo Pacific 2022 exhibition in May 2022 in Sydney:
