After completing the first firing from a British Type 23 frigate, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Poland validated the operational capability of the new NSM anti-ship missile for its use in operations taking place in the Arctic. The milestone in question was achieved during the combined Ægir 25 exercise, which took place in waters surrounding the northern regions of Norway, with the mentioned missile being one of the main protagonists as it was deployed from various allied platforms in live firings.
Expanding on details, the official statement from Kongsberg (the missile manufacturer) notes that these were activities coordinated by the Royal Norwegian Navy together with the Coastal Guard Command, involving frigates, corvettes, and coastal defense batteries. In addition to the tests carried out with the NSM missile, which also included launches from a Nansen-class frigate, the exercise aimed to provide an opportunity for the three navies involved to demonstrate their ability to operate jointly in complex maritime operations and to expand the exchange of their own procedures with their allies.
Furthermore, it was detailed that the NSM missile was also employed by a corvette belonging to the Skjold class and by the Polish Naval Missile Unit, which carried out attacks against the now-decommissioned frigate HNoMS Trondheim; formerly belonging to the host navy. With all these precedents, the three forces considered that the Kongsberg missile demonstrated its capabilities in terms of performance, noting that it is a weapon capable of reaching naval and land targets located up to 100 miles away, characterized by a stealthy design and a weight of around 400 kilograms.
In the particular case of the Royal Navy, it was a key event to verify and validate the missile that is in the process of replacing the older Harpoon Block IC models that equipped its fleets for decades, especially the Type 23 frigates themselves and the more modern Type 45 destroyers. As such, its incorporation is part of the program known as the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) undertaken by London, whose documents stipulate that by the end of the decade the NSM must already be in service; coinciding with the arrival of the new generation of British frigates.
Specifically, the institution has already advanced in integrating the new NSMs into three of its Type 23 frigates, particularly the HMS Somerset, HMS Portland (F-79), and HMS Richmond (F-239); these works being carried out by Babcock and BAE Systems with assistance from the manufacturer. The first of these was the one involved in the launch carried out in Norwegian waters, while the third is the one integrated into the Strike Group led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in its deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
*Image credits: Royal Navy
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