The Norwegian Government has decided to put forward the development of the next stage of the Kongsberg Group Joint Strike Missile (JSM) to the Parliament. Kongsberg Devotek has had a long and highly successful cooperation with the Kongsberg Group, and is one of several selected suppliers to the JSM program. Should the Parliament endorse the proposal, it will mean a continuation of the development of the JSM until 2013.
The Joint Strike Missile is a new missile designed to fill an identified operational capability gap for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter. The JSM is a long-range, advanced missile with both land and anti- ship capabilities. The missile is the only one currently under development can be carried inside the F-35’s wing, whilst meeting the operational requirements. The missile can also be integrated onto other platforms. The Kongsberg Group sees a great potential for the supply of the JSM to F-35 customers. As a result of an agreement between the U.S. and Norwegian defence authorities, the Kongsberg Group is invited to compete for the supply of a missile to the U.S. Navy, meeting their needs for both ship and aircraft based missiles.