The US Marine Corps has awarded Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace a $404.4 million contract to manufacture and support launchers and weapon control systems for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
The agreement will remain in effect through September 2034. Under the contract, approximately 85% of the work will be conducted in Norway, while the remaining 15% will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
The NSM is a long-range anti-ship missile equipped with an imaging infrared seeker. It is designed to fly at very low altitudes to reduce its detectability before reaching its target. The missile has a range exceeding 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 kilometers).
The US Navy’s 2026 procurement plan included 90 NSMs for the Marine Corps and an additional 16 missiles for the Navy.
Marine Corps’ NSM
The Marine Corps deploys the NSM through the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a ground-based anti-ship platform that integrates the missile with a remotely operated vehicle and weapon control system.
The Marine Corps began fielding NMESIS in 2023. Each launcher can carry two NSMs and is designed to support mobile operations in coastal environments.
NMESIS is intended for Marine Littoral Regiments operating from dispersed locations across coastlines and islands. Its mobile launchers enable Marines to engage surface vessels while sharing and receiving targeting information through wider naval and joint force networks.
