2024 ends successfully for the Norwegian company KONGSBERG. The company, which has been successfully operating in Bulgaria for the past five years, has opened new factories all over the world. Different types of KONGSBERG attack missiles will be produced locally in Norway, Australia and the USA. The new production facilities are being opened in response to the strong and long-term demand for advanced missile systems among NATO countries as well as the critical need to strengthen collective defense capabilities.
In September 2024, in response to growing demand, the company opened a state-of-the-art plant in the US. It is located near key US Navy facilities in James City County (Virginia) and will provide additional domestic manufacturing capacity. This includes maintenance and technical renewal and upgrade capabilities for KONGSBERG's Naval Anti-Ship Missiles (NSMs) and Surface-to-Ground Strike Missiles (JSMs). This is the third new missile production facility that KONGSBERG has announced in recent months, with the decision to locate this facility in the US heavily influenced by the award of a contract to supply the next batch of NSM missiles to the US Navy and Marine Corps.
„This is the largest missile contract in KONGSBERG's history and is an important milestone for us. We are pleased that the US has chosen KONGSBERG as an industrial partner and look forward to continuing our collaboration in support of US defense capabilities by creating military value for important stakeholders in Norway and the US” stated Gair Haoi, President and CEO of KONGSBERG.
The new facility in James City County will assemble, upgrade and repair the NSM and JSM missiles.
NSM is an anti-ship missile with superior operational characteristics and high resistance against any enemy defense systems.
The JSM is an air-launched strike missile designed to perform complex missions. It is designed to be located inside the weapons bay of F-35A fighter jets, thus maintaining the aircraft's characteristic low visibility during any strike mission. KONGSBERG's JSM is the only long-range precision strike munition that offers this capability. In addition, the JSM can also be launched by F-16 fighter jets.
In September 2024, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (“KONGSBERG“) also opened a new facility in Adelaide (South Australia), where the company will support the Australian Armed Forces' programs to acquire and maintain strike missiles, air defense and remote weapon stations. The facility will support acquisition and sustainment programs through local manufacturing, assembly, integration, test, verification and training for the Navy's NSM anti-ship missiles, NASAMS air defense system, CORTEX C4 command and control system and remote weapon stations. The opening marks an important milestone for KONGSBERG in Australia.
„We are committed to contributing to the nation's defense strategy by ensuring critical capabilities are developed and maintained in Australia with the support of our workforce. Bringing advanced technology and expertise from Norway to Australia will improve the capabilities of the Australian Defense Force” shared John Fry, Managing Director of Kongsberg Defense Australia.
In addition to the new site in Adelaide, the Australian government recently announced its decision to invest in the construction of a new KONGSBERG strike missile plant in Newcastle, Australia. Its construction is expected to begin later this year. When it is completed in 2026, it will be the only plant outside of Kongsberg (Norway) that can produce both types of NSM and JSM missiles. It will be owned and operated by Kongsberg Defense Australia and will start producing missiles from 2027. after completing the certification process. The plant will reach its planned full production capacity in 2028, when it will be able to produce up to 100 missiles a year, most of which will be used to replenish Australia's military stockpile. In the long term, the Australian Ministry of Defense hopes that the production capacity of the facility will be increased so that the missiles can be exported.
„This is about investing in our advanced, high-tech manufacturing industry and developing our sovereign defense industrial base in areas that have been identified as strategic priorities, which in turn means we can accelerate the delivery of capabilities to the armed forces of the country“ said Pat Conroy, the Australian minister overseeing the defense industry.
In June 2024 Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has officially opened its new missile production facility in Kongsberg, Norway, where the company will manufacture its NSM anti-ship missiles and JSM strike combat missiles. The plant is located in the Arsenalet industrial park, near the company's headquarters.
Construction of the new plant began in 2021. in response to the steady increase in orders for KONGSBERG strike missiles. Earlier this year, the company received funding from the Norwegian government and the EU's ASAP program to further expand production capacity.
„Interest in the NSM and JSM has grown over the past decade and they are now the flagship 5th generation strike missiles in 13 countries, including Norway, NATO countries and other close allies. The building is the culmination of a number of expansions we have made over the past few years in response to the growing demand for our naval strike missiles from our expanding customer base. The facility exponentially increases annual throughput for NSM and JSM missiles“ shared Eric Lee, president of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.