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Eight months after the initial announcement, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace confirmed that it has officially entered into a contract with the Commonwealth for the delivery of Naval Strike Missiles and supporting equipment.
Initially announced in April 2022, the latest news confirms that Defence has formally signed the accelerated acquisition announcement.
Defence has announced that the NSM capability will be used onboard the Royal Australian Navy’s ANZAC Class frigate and Hobart Class destroyers from 2024, replacing the Harpoon anti-ship missile.
“This is a significant milestone in the pathway to delivering a modern, effective, and survivable precision strike missile capability to the Royal Australian Navy. Executing this contract will be achieved through close collaboration between Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Australian industry and the Commonwealth,” Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, said.
The program is expected to utilise significant local content delivered through Kongsberg Defence Australia and their Australian supply chain.
John Fry, general manager of Kongsberg Defence Australia, explained that the company is expanding their Australian footprint to support the delivery of the missile system.
“To assist with the delivery and support of current and future acquisition programs, we are increasing our presence in Australia with a new facility at Mawson Lakes, South Australia,” Fry explained.
“In addition to this, we have also commenced engaging with Australian suppliers to discuss opportunities to deliver this key capability to the ADF”.
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