Innovative Alliance: Raytheon and Kongsberg Forge Next-Gen Naval Strike Solutions in the U.S.

Raytheon Company, in partnership with Norway’s Kongsberg Defence Systems, is nearing the completion of plans to assemble, integrate, and assess the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) on U.S. soil. The two firms also aim to locally produce NSM launchers.

An NSM was successfully fired from the Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) during a trial on September 23, 2014, off the Southern California coastline. (Image courtesy of the US Navy)

“Initiating NSM production in the United States signifies a pivotal advancement in our enduring collaboration with Kongsberg,” declared Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, President of Raytheon Missile Systems. “Both the missile and launchers will be manufactured at the same Raytheon facilities, which are renowned for producing some of the world’s most advanced missiles and weapon systems.”

Raytheon plans to execute the final assembly, integration, and testing of the NSM at its facility in Tucson, Arizona, while the launchers are projected to be fabricated at Raytheon’s plant in Louisville, Kentucky.

With an impressive range surpassing 100 nautical miles, the NSM serves as a long-range, anti-ship missile that provides remarkable strike capabilities against various terrestrial and maritime targets. Both Raytheon and Kongsberg emphasize that the NSM is an ideal solution for navies around the globe, functioning as the leading over-the-horizon missile for the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship.

“Warfighters across the world will reap the benefits of the collaborative endeavors between Kongsberg and Raytheon on the NSM,” stated Harald Ånnestad, President of Kongsberg Defence Systems. “The production of NSM in the United States will ensure the growth and sustainability of NSM, recognized globally as the only Fifth Generation Naval Strike Missile with Land Target capabilities, for the U.S. and our allied nations. The increased NSM output will lead to job creation and sustainability in both the U.S. and Norway.”

The two corporations are also working together on the Joint Strike Missile project and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, commonly referred to as NASAMS.