Apart from the previously announced collaboration on submarine acquisition, Germany and Norway will also be joining forces on naval missiles.
After the Norwegian ministry of defense announced the choice of German TKMS as the preferred builder for its navy’s four new submarines less than two weeks ago, Norway’s German counterpart announced on Monday that it intends to join forces with Norway for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) development and acquisition.
Germany currently has the Harpoon missile in service which is expected to be decommissioned in the coming decade.
The Kongsberg-developed NSM missile would be further developed and fielded on a number of German navy vessels, according to the announcement. This agreement also enables a close cooperation on joint maintenance and logistics between the German and the Norwegian navy.
According to the missile developer, NSM is the world’s only fifth generation long-range precision missile based on a passive sensor technology and low radar signature. NSM is today in operation in the Norwegian and the Polish Navy, and was recently chosen by Malaysia.
Norway’s defense company Kongsberg said that it would work with approximately 100 small and large suppliers across Norway on the new submarines. The company also said the submarines’ combat management system will be delivered by Norwegian industry.