Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has received a $404.4-million US Marine Corps award for the production and sustainment of Naval Strike Missile launchers and weapon-control systems. The agreement is scheduled to continue until September 2034, with 85 percent of the contracted work to be completed in Norway and 15 percent at the company’s facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. NSM is a long-range maritime strike missile that uses an imaging infrared seeker and follows a low-altitude flight profile intended to limit its exposure to enemy detection. Its stated range is more than 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 kilometers). According to the US Navy’s 2026 procurement plan, the Marine Corps is scheduled to receive 90 missiles, while a further 16 are planned for Navy requirements. The Marine Corps employs NSM through NMESIS, a mobile ground-based anti-ship system that combines the missile with a remotely operated vehicle and dedicated weapon-control equipment. NMESIS entered service with the Marines in 2023 and carries two NSMs per launcher. The system is intended to support Marine Littoral Regiments conducting distributed operations from coastal and island positions. Its mobile launchers can engage surface ships while receiving and sharing targeting data through broader naval and joint operational networks.
