The Australian Ministry of Defence announced the conclusion of two export contracts worth a combined total of 80 million dollars through Kongsberg Defence Australia (KDA). The agreements cover the domestic production of launch systems and command-and-control consoles for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship missiles, which will be exported to Poland, Spain, and Denmark.
The manufacturing of these components will take place at KDA’s facilities in Mawson Lakes, in the state of South Australia, using subsystems from local suppliers in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. The contracts are expected to create around 60 specialized jobs in Australia’s supply chain.
The first agreement, valued at 30 million dollars, involves the supply of command-and-control consoles for Poland’s Coastal Defence System. The second, worth 50 million dollars, covers the export of launch systems to Spain and Denmark. These exports are part of the Commonwealth’s Global Supply Chain Program, of which KDA has been a member since 2023.
In the case of Spain, the Navy approved the acquisition of 120 NSM Blk-1A missiles to equip the F-100 frigates and the future F-110s, replacing Harpoon missiles whose service life will end around 2030. The contract, managed through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), amounted to 305 million euros. Additionally, a collaboration was established between Kongsberg and Navantia to ensure full maintenance of the systems on Spanish territory.
Poland, for its part, signed an agreement to incorporate four squadrons of coastal defence batteries and 500 NSM missiles, valued at an estimated 1.7 billion dollars. The contract includes launch systems, logistical support, training, and simulators. The Polish industry will participate in the integration of local components such as vehicles, communication systems, and part of the command-and-control system. Deliveries will take place between 2026 and 2032.
In Denmark, the acquisition of NSM missiles responds to the need to replace Harpoon systems transferred to Ukraine. The contract, signed in March 2024 between the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (FMA) and the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO), was concluded for a value exceeding 2.1 billion Norwegian kroner. The new missiles will equip the Royal Danish Navy’s Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.
The NSM missile, developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in Norway, is a fifth-generation system capable of engaging naval and land targets at distances of up to 200 kilometres. It features an active radar seeker, inertial navigation, and a stealth design that enables it to perform evasive manoeuvres in its terminal phase.
With these agreements, Australia is integrating for the first time into the NSM’s international supply chain, positioning itself as a production hub for launch systems and consoles outside Europe and the United States.
Images for illustrative purposes only.
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