Kongsberg awarded contract to manufacture Naval Strike Missile in Australia

On August 22, 2024, the Australian Government announced an investment of up to $850 million in partnership with Kongsberg Defence Australia to establish a missile manufacturing and servicing facility at Williamtown, near Newcastle. This facility, to be located within the Newcastle Airport precinct, is projected to create over 500 jobs during the construction phase and contribute approximately $100 million to the local economy. Once operational, the facility will employ around 100 people.

The facility will focus on the production and servicing of Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM) for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). This site will be one of only two such facilities globally, the other being in Kongsberg, Norway. Construction is expected to begin later this year, in line with the government’s objective of enhancing domestic defense manufacturing capabilities.

This partnership is part of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise, a component of the Australian Government’s 2024 Integrated Investment Program. The program allocates up to $21 billion over the next decade, consistent with the 2024 National Defence Strategy’s emphasis on improving the ADF’s precision strike capabilities and ensuring the ability to manufacture munitions within Australia.

The NSM and JSM, which will be produced at the facility, are anti-ship and land-attack missiles. The NSM is intended to be integrated into the Hobart-class destroyers and Anzac-class frigates, replacing the current Harpoon anti-ship missile and enhancing the combat capabilities of Australia’s surface fleet. A recent test of the NSM was conducted by HMAS Sydney in July 2024.

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