US Navy selects Raytheon-Kongsberg NSM

Raytheon and Kongsberg Gruppen’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) has been selected by the US Navy to meet its over-the-horizon requirement for littoral combat ships and future frigates, the company announced on 1 June.

Under the contract worth $14.8 million, Raytheon will produce and deliver weapon systems consisting of offensive missiles loaded into launching mechanisms and a single fire control suite. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $847.6 million.

The NSM is a long-range precision missile designed to strike heavily defended land and sea targets. The missile uses advanced seeker and target identification technology to defeat enemy defences up to 100 nautical miles away.

Taylor Lawrence, president of Raytheon Missile Systems, said: ‘Raytheon and Kongsberg are providing the navy with a proven, off-the-shelf solution that exceeds requirements for the over-the-horizon mission. Because it is operational now, NSM saves the United States billions of dollars in development costs and creates new high-tech jobs in this country.’