US Navy To Demo Naval Strike Missile

The US Navy is scheduled to conduct a live-fire demonstration of a Kongsberg-built Naval Strike Missile (NSM) aboard USS Coronado (LCS 4) while underway in the Pacific Ocean Sept. 24. 

The Kongsberg NSM is a long range precision strike missile designed to be launched from a variety of ships against a variety of targets. This demonstration is intended to test the capabilities of the Norwegian-made missile from a sea-based platform against a Mobile Ship Target (MST) and provide insights into the weapon's stated capabilities of increased range and lethality. 

"We saw what the missile could do from a Norwegian ship during RIMPAC, and now have the opportunity to see it perform from one of our ships," said Rear Adm. Jon Hill, Program Executive Officer, Integrated Warfare Systems. "We're excited to see what potential the missile has as a possible future warfighting tool for the U.S. Navy." 

The planned live firing demonstration of the NSM will take place under the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program and will act as a demonstration of the missile's potential to execute an anti-surface warfare role. The Navy uses the FCT program to take advantage of foreign technologies that offer potential opportunities for increasing the warfighting capabilities of US ships. 

The NSM is currently used on Norwegian Nansen Class frigates and Skjold Class missile torpedo boats, and in the Polish Coastal Missile Division. Kongsberg has previously contracted with the U.S. Navy to supply simulation training tools for Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Training (NSST) programs. 

Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), together with Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS), will coordinate the demonstration. In the event of inclement weather or an unfavorable sea state, the demonstration will be conducted Sept. 25. 

PEO IWS is affiliated with the Naval Sea Systems Command. The PEO IWS organization is responsible for developing, delivering and sustaining surface ship and submarine combat systems, and for implementing Navy enterprise solutions across numerous ship types. 

PEO LCS is affiliated with the Naval Sea Systems Command and provides a single program executive responsible for acquiring and sustaining mission capabilities of the littoral combat ship class, from procurement through fleet employment and sustainment. Delivering high-quality warfighting assets while balancing affordability and capability is key to supporting the nation's maritime strategy.