Kongsberg Signs $404 Million Marine Corps Deal for Naval Strike Missile Launchers

Kongsberg has signed a framework agreement with the US Marine Corps covering Naval Strike Missile launchers, weapon control systems and support equipment, with a potential value of up to $404 million and deliveries that could run through 2034. The Norwegian company announced the deal on September 28.

The figure is a ceiling, not a firm order. The Marine Corps will place individual call-offs under the framework, and Kongsberg said it will announce significant orders as they arrive. According to the contract notice, no funds were obligated at award, so actual quantities will depend on later delivery and task orders.

Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile Contract With the US Marine Corps

The agreement covers full-rate production and sustainment of the launcher unit, the weapon control system and ancillary equipment. That separates it from the missile purchases that have dominated Naval Strike Missile headlines. Here the money goes to the shooters and the gear that manages them, plus long-term support for firing units that operate away from fixed bases.

The deal follows a multi-year missile contract signed in November 2024 for the US Navy and Marine Corps, valued at about NOK 10 billion (roughly $900 million) and up to NOK 12 billion with options. Read together, the two agreements cover both the missiles and, now, the launchers that fire them.

What Is the Naval Strike Missile (NSM)?

The Naval Strike Missile, or NSM, is a long-range, sea-skimming anti-ship and land-attack missile developed and built by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. It originated in Norway as a successor to the Penguin missile, and its original Norwegian designation translates as “new sea target missile.” The initial serial production contract was signed in June 2007.

The missile passed its final development milestone with tests at Point Mugu in June 2011. The Royal Norwegian Navy made the first firing from the frigate HNoMS Glimt in October 2012, and a live warhead test against the decommissioned frigate HNoMS Trondheim followed in June 2013. On May 31, 2018, the US Navy selected the NSM as the over-the-horizon anti-ship weapon for its Littoral Combat Ships and designated it RGM-184A.

Naval Strike Missile Range, Speed and Specifications

Kongsberg describes the missile as having a range of more than 300 kilometres, a passive seeker and autonomous target recognition, and it says the seeker is designed to identify the intended target before impact. Public references list earlier figures of more than 200 kilometres for the baseline missile and about 250 kilometres for the NSM 1A, so the 300-kilometre figure reflects newer extended-range work.

The missile flies a sea-skimming profile to complicate defence by modern shipboard air defence systems. A subsonic missile gives up speed but gains low cost and low observability compared with supersonic designs, a trade Kongsberg has leaned on for years.

What Is NMESIS? The Marine Corps Anti-Ship Missile System

NMESIS is the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, a land-based, unmanned anti-ship missile launcher built for Marine Littoral Regiments in the Indo-Pacific. The launchers feed the Marine Corps concept of expeditionary advanced base operations, in which small units spread across islands and coastlines, fire, and move before an adversary can respond. Marines describe the tactic as “scoot and shoot.”

NMESIS Fielding Timeline

The June 2026 exercise activity is notable because it put NMESIS in the Philippines’ Batanes Islands, close to the Luzon Strait, alongside the Marine Air Defense Integrated System. Public references also cite long-term Marine Corps plans for roughly 260 NMESIS systems in the early 2030s, though the contract notice for this framework does not specify quantities.

Which Countries Use the Naval Strike Missile?

The NSM has become one of the most widely adopted Western anti-ship missiles, and its customer list keeps growing.

The Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates are set to receive Mk 41 cells and strike missiles, one of several European programmes built around the NSM.

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Company Profile

Why Launcher Production Matters for the Marine Corps

Mobility is the point of the concept. A launcher that can move, fire and relocate is harder to find and target than a fixed coastal battery, and the Marine Corps has built much of its distributed maritime thinking on that idea. But every launcher carries only two missiles, so each additional firing unit adds to the missile requirement as well as the vehicle count.

That arithmetic is why a launcher-focused framework matters after a missile contract. The 2024 deal secured the weapons; this one gives the Marine Corps a way to buy the platforms and control equipment that make them usable, without committing to a fixed quantity up front. The flip side is uncertainty. With no funds obligated, the real size of the programme will only show up as call-offs are issued.

The work split also carries a supply-chain angle. With about 85 percent of the work in Norway, deliveries depend on a transatlantic line, while the 15 percent in Johnstown gives the programme a US production foothold. Neither company has said how that split might shift if quantities rise.

Naval Strike Missile FAQ

How far can the Naval Strike Missile fly?

Kongsberg cites a range of more than 300 kilometres. Earlier public figures put the baseline missile above 200 kilometres and the NSM 1A at about 250 kilometres.

Who makes the Naval Strike Missile?

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in Norway developed and builds it. Raytheon produces the missile for US customers in partnership with Kongsberg.

What is the $404 million Kongsberg agreement worth?

It has a potential value of up to $404 million, but it is a framework agreement. No funds were obligated at award, and the Marine Corps will place call-offs over time through 2034.

How many missiles does an NMESIS launcher carry?

Each launcher carries two Naval Strike Missiles.

How much does a Naval Strike Missile cost?

Public references to US budget data cite about $2.19 million per missile in FY2021 dollars. Current prices may differ.

Which navies use the NSM?

Users include the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands and Poland, with several more countries announced or planned.