Through an official statement released on June 30, the Norwegian company Kongsberg announced that Germany has confirmed the purchase of new JSM anti-ship missiles to equip its future F-35A stealth fighters acquired from the United States, thereby strengthening its arsenal for the future. Specifically, the agreement will require an investment of 6.5 billion Norwegian kroner (around 644 million U.S. dollars) by Berlin, and confirms what had been announced last June, when the Luftwaffe received parliamentary approval to move forward with the corresponding contracts.
Celebrating the news, Øyvind Kolset, Executive Vice President for Missiles and Space at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, stated: “We are pleased to welcome Germany as the fifth country to select the JSM. This acquisition confirms the missile’s position as the natural partner of the F-35 and further strengthens the already solid ties between KONGSBERG and German industry across various projects, such as missiles, submarines, and weapon stations.”
It is worth noting that the agreement in question was signed under a government-to-government structure, with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) acting as the contractual partner of the missile manufacturer. With negotiations now finalized, Germany has become the fifth country to incorporate the JSM into its inventory, following in the footsteps of Australia, the United States, Japan, and Norway itself.
On another note, expanding on the F-35A program undertaken by the German Air Force, it is useful to highlight that the purchase involves 35 aircraft in exchange for an investment of 8.4 billion U.S. dollars—already approved by the U.S. State Department since July 2022. The package acquired by Berlin also includes a wide range of weapons, namely: 105 AIM-120C-8 medium-to-long-range BVR missiles, 75 AIM-9X Block II+ Tactical Sidewinder short-range missiles, 75 JASSM-ER extended-range missiles, 344 GBU-53 bombs, and 264 MK-82 500LB general-purpose bombs.
In addition, the F-35As to be incorporated by the Luftwaffe are pending the possibility of being equipped with U.S. nuclear bombs, as they are the only variant of the fifth-generation fighter currently capable of carrying them. Specifically, we are referring to the B61-12 thermonuclear bombs used by the U.S. Air Force and deployed at various locations across the European continent—a path also being followed by the British Royal Air Force with its decision to acquire 12 new F-35As to strengthen its capabilities.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
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