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]]>The state-of-the-art facility in James City County, Virginia, will enhance the Norwegian firm’s production capability for Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM).
More importantly, it will bring the capability to the US, including sustainment and tech refresh capabilities for the missiles.
“Kongsberg is investing in a big way in the US market by making Virginia the US home of our new missile factory, which will entail hiring more than 180 people,” president and general manager of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Heather Armentrout said.
“We will also be investing more than $100 million into the Commonwealth of Virginia over the next few years, in terms of property, plant and equipment.
“This is in addition to expansion at our core US production facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.”
This is the third missile facility Kongsberg announced in the last few months, including in Norway and Australia.
The decision is also in anticipation of a multiyear procurement contract by the US Department of Defense.
The NSM is an anti-ship missile operational with five navies, including the US Navy.
The JSM is an air-launched cruise missile designed to fit into the F-35’s internal bay and perform complex missions such as anti-surface warfare and land attack.
“The US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force are important customers for Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile. Their demand signals gave us the predictability we needed to make this investment in the United States,” president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Eirik Lie said.
“This will allow us to better serve our allies in the US and continue to expand that supply chain locally, building capacity and redundancy for these critical capabilities.”
The 150,000-square-foot (13,935 square meters) facility will be equipped to assemble, upgrade, and repair both the missiles.
The company expected to invest $71 million in the facility and an additional $30 million in engineering and software, Virginia Business stated, citing the office of the governor of Virginia.
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]]>Kongsberg will produce the missiles for $141 million in Norway through August 31, 2026.
The production Lot 1 contract includes JSM all-up rounds, containers, and test equipment, with $69 million being allocated for fiscal 2024.
The number of missiles to be purchased was not stated. However, the service said in 2023 it was planning to procure 268 JSMs over the next five years, including 48 in 2024.
“The selection of JSMs by both the USAF and Royal Norwegian Air Force also fully supports NATO’s vision for interchangeability of equipment between allied nations,” said Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace President Eirik Lie.
An enlarged air-launched version of Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile, the JSM was adapted for deployment on the F-35A/C during the missile’s first development phase.
The US Air Force operates the F-35A, while the US Marines operate the F-35C.
The Lockheed Martin aircraft could carry it both internally and externally for a range of strike missions against marine and land-based targets.
According to The War Zone, the JSM is an interim stand-off anti-ship capability until the F-35A gets the larger AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
Additionally, the missile’s smaller size allows it to fit inside the jet’s internal weapons bay, helping the aircraft maintain its stealth, the outlet added.
Kongsberg developed the missile in cooperation with Raytheon.
It is the only anti-ship cruise missile that can fit inside the F-35A/C’s internal weapons bay.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is integrating the JSM with its F-35A fleet, with similar plans from Japan and Finland.
The missile features a range of 350 miles (563 kilometers), a speed of Mach 0.7 – 0.95, a length of 4 meters (13 feet), and weighs 407 kilograms (897 pounds).
It carries a 260-pound (118-kilogram) warhead and uses GPS and inertial navigation for guidance.
Additionally, it uses an imaging infrared seeker for precise targeting during the flight’s terminal phase.
The passive seeker’s immunity to radio frequency jamming enhances the missile’s effectiveness.
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