Naval Strike Missile

Naval Strike Missile
Type	littoral/open sea anti-ship/land attack cruise missile
Place of origin	Norway
Service history
In service	Since 2012[1]
Used by	Norway Poland
Production history
Manufacturer	Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
Specifications
Weight	410 kg (900 lb)
Length	3.95 m (13.0 ft)
Warhead	125 kg (276 lb) HE blast-fragmentation
Detonation mechanism	Programmable fuze
Engine	Solid fuel rocket booster, Microturbo TRI-40 turbojet
Operational range	NSM 185 km (115 mi; 100 nmi)+ JSM 290 km (180 mi; 160 nmi)+
Flight altitude	Sea skimming
Speed	High subsonic
Guidance system	Inertial, GPS, terrain-reference navigation, imaging infrared homing, target database
Launch platform	Naval ships, land-based vehicles

The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA).

The original Norwegian name was Nytt sjømålsmissil (literally New sea target missile, indicating that it is the successor of the Penguin missile); the English marketing name Naval Strike Missile was adopted later.

Development

Polish Navy's NSM Coastal Defense System launcher and three-dimensional radar TRS-15M Odra in the background.

The Naval Strike Missile's initial serial production contract was signed in June 2007.^[2] It has been chosen by the Royal Norwegian Navy for its new Fridtjof Nansen class frigates and Skjold class patrol boats. In December 2008 the NSM was selected by the Polish Navy, which ordered total 50 land-based missiles (including 2 for testing) under deals from 2008 and 2011, with delivery planned for 2013-2016.^[3][4][5]

The final milestone was completed in June 2011 with tests at Point Mugu.^[6] On 12 April 2011, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense announced phase 2 of development.^[7]

On Wednesday, October 10, 2012, the Royal Norwegian Navy marked history by firing an NSM anti-ship missile for the first time. The vessel in question was the HNoMS Glimt, Skjold class patrol boat.^[8]

On Wednesday, June 5, 2013, the Royal Norwegian Navy for the first time test fired an NSM missile carrying a live warhead against a target vessel. The decommissioned Oslo class frigate HNoMS Trondheim was hit and the weapon functioned as intended.^[9][10]

In June 2013 Poland completed the Coastal Missile Division equipped with 12 NSM and 23 vehicles on Jelcz chassis (inc. six launchers, two TRS-15C radars, six fire control and three command vehicles).^[11] Ultimately, the Coastal Missile Division will be equipped with 12 launchers carrying four missiles each for a total of 48 missiles. In December 2014 Poland ordered a second batch of launchers and missiles to equip a Naval Strike Missile battalion^[12]

Naval Strike Missile launch from USS Coronado (LCS-4) in September 2014.

In late July 2014, the U.S. Navy confirmed that the NSM would be tested aboard the USS Coronado (LCS-4) Littoral Combat Ship. Although there is no requirement for a missile of the type for the ship classes, the Navy sought to evaluate its capabilities to see if it can expand the LCS' anti-surface warfare role.^[13] The test occurred successfully on 24 September 2014, although that does not mean it will be integrated onto the LCS.^[14] Kongsberg and Raytheon have teamed to pitch the NSM to equip the LCS as its over-the-horizon anti-ship missile.^[15]

During RIMPAC 2014 the frigate Fridtjof Nansen made a successful firing of the NSM during a SINKEX, with the missile impacting and detonating as designed. ^[16]

In the LIMA exhibition 2015, Malaysia announced that the Naval Strike Missile had won the contract to fulfil the Royal Malaysian Navy's Second Generation Patrol Vessel's anti-ship missile requirement.^[17][18]

Design and features

The state-of-the-art design and use of composite materials is meant to give the missile sophisticated stealth capabilities. The missile will weigh slightly more than 400 kg (880 lb) and have a range of at least 185 km (100 nm). NSM is designed for littoral waters ("brown water") as well as for open sea ("green and blue water") scenarios. The usage of a high strength titanium alloy blast/fragmentation warhead from TDW is in line with the modern lightweight design and features insensitive high-explosive II. Warhead initiation is by a void-sensing Programmable Intelligent Multi-Purpose Fuze designed to optimise effect against hard targets.^[19]

Like its Penguin predecessor, NSM is able to fly over and around landmasses, travel in sea skim mode, and then make random manoeuvres in the terminal phase, making it harder to stop by enemy countermeasures. While the Penguin is a yaw-to-turn missile, NSM is based on bank-to-turn flight (see Yaw (flight) and flight control).

The target selection technology provides NSM with a capacity for independent detection, recognition, and discrimination of targets at sea or on the coast. This is possible by the combination of an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker and an onboard target database. NSM is able to navigate by GPS, inertial and terrain reference systems.

After being launched into the air by a solid rocket booster which is jettisoned upon burning out, the missile is propelled to its target in high subsonic speed by a turbojet sustainer engine—leaving the 125 kg multi-purpose blast/fragmentation warhead to do its work, which in case of a ship target means impacting the ship at or near the water line.

Operators

Current operators

 Norway

• Royal Norwegian Navy^[20]
  • Skjold-class corvette
  • Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate

 Poland

• Coastal Missile Division^[21]

Future operators

 Malaysia

• Royal Malaysian Navy
  • Second Generation Patrol Vessel

Joint Strike Missile

A multi-role version of the NSM is in development. This missile is called Joint Strike Missile (JSM) and will feature an option for ground strike and a two-way communications line, so that the missile can communicate with the central control room or other missiles in the air. This missile will be integrated with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II "Joint Strike Fighter". Studies have shown that the F-35 would be able to carry two of these in its internal bays, while additional missiles could be carried externally.

According to Kongsberg, this "multi-role NSM" is the only powered anti-ship missile that will fit inside the F-35's internal bays.^[22] Lockheed Martin and Kongsberg have signed a joint-marketing agreement for this air-launched version of the NSM, as well as an agreement committing both parties to integrating the JSM on the F-35 platform.^[23][24] The project is funded by Norway and Australia.^[25] Kongsberg signed a contract for the first phase of development of the JSM in April, 2009, which is scheduled for completion within 18 months.^[26]

Improved features for the Joint Strike Missile include:

• Shape changed to fit in F-35 internal bay^[27]
• Ability to attack sea and land based targets
• Aerial launch platform (F-35)
• Improved range over NSM to 280 km^[28]
• Long-term, production start in 2013

The JSM will have multicore computers running Integrity real-time operating system from Green Hills Software.^[29]

On 15 July 2014, Kongsberg and Raytheon announced that they had formed a teaming agreement to offer the JSM to the United States Navy for their Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) requirement;^[30] Raytheon would produce JSMs for the American market.^[31] The Navy plans to begin a competition for the OASuW requirement in 2017, which will likely pit the Kongsberg/Raytheon JSM against the Lockheed Martin Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).^[32]

Kongsberg is studying methods to deploy the JSM from Norway's submarines,^[33] and found shaping the missile to fit into the F-35's confined bomb-bay also enabled it to fit in the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System. A VL-JSM could also compete with the Lockheed LRASM for the U.S. Navy's OASuW Increment 2 for a ship-launched anti-ship missile.^[34]

Australia expressed interest in buying the JSM in June 2014 to equip their F-35 fighters. The missile has also been pitched to South Korea and Japan, and Kongsberg is expected to attempt to make sales to other countries that have ordered the F-35A. The JSM is expected to become fully operational in 2025.^[35] Test flights of the JSM will begin in 2015 aboard an F-16 Falcon. Development is aimed to be completed in 2017 and achievement of initial operational capability (IOC) is expected in 2021 with the release of the F-35's Block 4 software. Fit checks have been performed on the external hardpoints of all F-35 variants, and internally on the F-35A and C-models. Countries that operate other aircraft have expressed interest in the JSM, and fit checks have also been performed on the F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet, but integration on other platforms will not be conducted without a confirmed customer.^[36]

References

External links

• Official NSM product page at KDA
• Official JSM product page at KDA
• Defpro.com:Norway conducted very successful NSM test firing (Febr 2009)
• Missile.index search – Choose Development-Country: "Norway", then click "Search", then pick "NSM" from the results list (direct linking N/A)
• Kongsberg test fires Naval Strike Missiles – Jane's Navy International, 8 August 2006
• Capital Markets Day 2007 Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace