The world’s most advanced missile production site on target for launch

A factory next to RAAF Base Williamtown ill be the site for the local construction and support of two of Norwegian company Kongsberg’s most advanced missiles – the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and air-launched Joint Strike Missile (JSM).

HMAS Sydney fires the Royal Australian Navy’s first Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Picture: Department of Defence

It might sound hyperbolic, but Norwegian company Kongsberg is receiving $850m from Defence for the local construction and support of two of its most advanced missiles.

These are the surface-to-surface Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and the air-launched Joint Strike Missile (JSM). The factory is being built next to RAAF Base Williamtown and will start producing guided weapons in 2027.

The NSM is a ship-launched 4m-long, high subsonic cruise missile with a 120kg warhead and advanced passive IR seeker that can discriminate against targets in crowded littoral environments. It is so effective that it has been chosen by a dozen countries, including the US and the UK, as well as Australia.

They have already been fitted to Hobart-class air warfare destroyers in a very compressed 18-month delivery schedule, with the launch containers built in Australia. They can also be fired from vehicles for coastal defence and anti-shipping missions, with the US Marine Corps – and possibly Australia – using them in this role.

The JSM is its younger brother, designed to fit inside the weapons bay of an F-35, which can carry two of them while retaining the full stealth capabilities of the aircraft. It is expected to be as successful as the NSM and has ­already been selected by the US, Japan, Norway and Australia. It can be used against fixed and moving targets on land and at sea.

When it reaches full rate production in 2028, the Newcastle factory will be making about 100 guided weapons annually, though the balance between NSM and JSM has not been disclosed and will probably fluctuate year to year.

It is almost certain that as well as meeting the needs of the RAN and RAAF, some of the weapons will be exported.

The factory will be a clone of the parent Nexus facility in Norway, characterised by two parallel production lines for the separate weapons. While they have different engines, they share many common components and will need to incorporate advanced electronic subsystems. They will then be transferred to a Defence facility for the integration of the warheads.

Kongsberg will make an important contribution not only to Australia’s self-reliance but the factory is estimated to contribute about $100m of economic ­activity to the Newcastle region.

It’s worth thinking about how Norway with a population of four million people has developed such an advanced defence product. The answer seems to be the country believes in long-term defence ­industry planning and significant investment in research and development.