In an effort to strengthen the strike capabilities of its U.S.-built F-35A fighter jets, the Royal Norwegian Air Force has celebrated the delivery of its first Joint Strike Missiles (JSM), produced by local defense company Kongsberg. With this milestone reached yesterday, Norway becomes the first country to integrate the missile into its arsenal, paving the way for future adoption by Australia, the United States, and Japan.
Norwegian Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik commented on the achievement: “The JSM is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when Norway’s defense sector and industry work together. This missile gives us the ability to detect and defeat heavily defended targets at long range, with high precision and low risk of detection. It is the first weapon that allows small nations like Norway to pose a serious threat to well-protected targets both on land and at sea. The delivery of this missile marks a historic milestone in both Norwegian and international defense history.”
The JSM is a long-range cruise missile featuring advanced infrared seekers that allow it to independently detect and lock onto threats. It also includes a navigation system capable of mid-flight course adjustments to evade enemy defenses. The missile is derived from the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), a highly effective weapon against both land and sea targets, with the key difference being that the JSM is launched from aircraft rather than from the surface.
Further details highlight that the missile has been in development since 2004, with support from the U.S. company Raytheon beginning in 2008—a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, which also collaborated with Kongsberg on the NASAMS air defense system. One major outcome of this cooperation is that the JSM can be deployed from any of the F-35’s weapon stations, including the internal weapons bay, thus preserving the aircraft’s stealth capabilities. The missile has an estimated range of 280 kilometers.
As previously mentioned, the Joint Strike Missile is also expected to be adopted by the air forces of Australia, the United States, and Japan—all of which have opted to acquire the F-35A, meaning the aforementioned benefits will extend to these nations as well. In Australia’s case, Canberra invested over USD 96 million to finalize its purchase of the new cruise missiles, with the acquisition confirmed in September 2024. Washington expanded its order in January of this year, bringing the total value of its procurement to USD 207.9 million, while Tokyo also increased its planned purchase in November 2024, investing more than USD 172.7 million.
Image credits: @Forsvarsdep on X
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