Australia has arranged a purchase of the NSM naval anti-ship cruise missiles from the Norwegian defense company Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace. The agreement covers the supply for the Royal Australian Navy, including the ANZAC class frigates and the Hobart class destroyers. The deal aligns with Australia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its maritime strike capability and maintain a robust defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region. This information is reported by Asia Pacific Defense Correspondent.
Alongside the missiles themselves, the contract includes additional equipment whose exact use was not disclosed. Officials highlighted the NSM missiles’ versatility, noting their capability to engage targets at both land and maritime sites. The operational flexibility of NSM strengthens Australia’s ability to address a range of modern threat scenarios at sea and ashore.
The NSM project is set to replace the Harpoon anti-ship missiles in 2024, marking a significant upgrade in Australia’s naval arsenal. Australia has been a substantial and loyal customer for NSM, which has influenced Kongsberg’s strategic decision to establish production facilities within the country. Local manufacturing is planned to occur through Kongsberg Defense Australia, leveraging Australian suppliers and expertise to support national industry and resilience.
To support this production effort, a new facility will be established at Mawson Lakes in South Australia. The site will serve as a key component of Australia’s domestic defense industrial capability, enabling national production, sustained supply, and potential future upgrades for the NSM system.
NSM missiles were originally developed in 2007 and are designed to engage a range of targets from a distance of 3 to 185 kilometers. The warhead mass is 120 kilograms, reflecting the scale of the payload the missile brings to seabed and surface warfare scenarios. Beyond Australia, NSM has also served customers in Poland and the United States, signaling international confidence in the system’s performance and reliability.
Earlier reporting indicated that the United States and Australia are pursuing deeper defense cooperation, including plans to expand the presence of U.S. military assets in the Oceania region. Senior officials from both nations publicly discussed stronger ties, with a focus on broader naval and ground forces collaboration. The discussion highlighted a shared interest in preserving regional security and shaping a capable, interoperable defense posture. This broader partnership reflects strategic alignment on regional safety and a mutual vision for a stable, self-reliant security framework in the face of evolving regional dynamics. The remarks from high-level defense leaders underscored the belief that partners can collectively determine a future defined by strong, autonomous defense capabilities and coordinated defense planning.