Norway and Germany to develop new “super missile”

The Norwegian government has announced it is starting the development of the next-generation strike missile, in cooperation with Germany and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) as the lead industrial partner.

KONGSBERG has developed Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and will take the lead role in developing the new naval strike missile, which will complement the NSM, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The new missile will be known as SuperSonic Strike Missile (3SM) Tyrfing and is scheduled to be ready in 2035.

The NSM was developed in the early 2000s and delivered to the Norwegian Armed Forces from 2011 to 2015. Today, the missile has been selected by 13 countries. The development of the new missile is a collaborative project between Norway and Germany and is planned to be deployed on naval vessels in both countries.

The government is proposing to initiate and complete the initial design phase of the project, before returning to the Norwegian Parliament with a recommendation to continue the project.

“The development of Norwegian missiles is a success story. The Norwegian defence industry, with KONGSBERG at the forefront, has unique expertise and produces world-class missiles. The project will continue to extend this strategically important expertise, so we can continue to develop missiles that are attractive to other NATO countries and close allies,” said Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram. 

“The new strike missile project will ensure that Norway retains its position as a world leader in missile production, based on seamless cooperation between industry, governments and research establishments. The project will create new Norwegian jobs, while offering Norway and its allies improved defence capabilities,” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.