Kongsberg and Thales announced the successful live launch of a test munition of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from the StrikeMaster launcher vehicle in Norway. The trial validates the use of Thales Australia’s Bushmaster Utility variant as a launch platform for the NSM and supports StrikeMaster as a low-risk solution to meet Australia’s long-range strike requirements.
The device used in the test, called the Blast Test Vehicle (BTV), includes the missile’s booster rocket motor and is used to confirm the safety of NSM launches.
Features and Applications of the NSM
The NSM is a fifth-generation cruise missile with stealth characteristics, designed for maritime strike missions and against heavily defended land targets. According to information provided by the companies, the NSM has been selected by, or is being delivered to, 14 countries, including Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In Australia, the NSM entered service with the Royal Australian Navy in 2024.
The missile can be launched from ship decks or from trucks as part of the NSM Coastal Defence System (CDS) without modifications. It is currently used in a land-based strike configuration by Poland and the US Marine Corps (USMC) and has been selected by three other NATO countries.
StrikeMaster and the land configuration
StrikeMaster is the Australian configuration of the NSM CDS developed by Kongsberg, which uses Thales Australia’s Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle as a dual-cell launcher. In addition to the launcher, the StrikeMaster solution includes a Launch Control Centre and a Missile Reload Vehicle, both based on the Bushmaster platform. The configuration is similar to that used by the USMC’s NMESIS program, currently deploying in the region.
Kongsberg Defence Australia and Thales Australia reported that the StrikeMaster NSM CDS will be produced in Australia, at factories located in Adelaide and Bendigo, involving more than 150 local suppliers and creating or sustaining 700 Australian jobs. They also noted that the NSM will begin being manufactured at the Kongsberg Missile Factory, under construction near Newcastle, with deliveries planned from that site starting in 2027.
Context: land-based maritime strike requirement (Land 8113)
As background, adding land-based maritime strike capabilities is among the Australian Defence Force’s priority requirements. The program known as Land 8113 for the Australian Army, in its Phase I and Phase II, seeks to acquire rocket and missile artillery systems that provide mobility and rapid deployment.
In Phase I, the Australian government confirmed the purchase of 42 HIMARS systems from the United States, with their guided-munition packages, to form an initial regiment that will join the Army’s 10th Brigade, based at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in Adelaide. Phase II foresees the formation of a second regiment, for which two different proposals for the rocket and missile system to be adopted are currently being evaluated.
Institutional voices
Kongsberg Defence Australia —through its Managing Director, Mr John Fry— said: “This launch clearly demonstrates StrikeMaster’s capability, ensuring its reliability and performance, and confirming its suitability for Australia and other countries. Our collaboration with Thales Australia allows us to offer the proven and deployable capability of the NSM CDS in a mobile, protected, and locally manufactured configuration that fits the force structure of Australia and other nations.”
Thales Australia —through its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jeff Connolly— stated: “This successful live projectile launch demonstrates that the NSM and the Bushmaster combination can provide a powerful land-based maritime strike capability for Australia and our allies, and it will be manufactured right here in Australia to support a sovereign industrial base.”
Images obtained from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
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