Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has been awarded contract worth approximately NOK 16 billion by the Polish Ministry of National Defence to deliver four NSM (Naval Strike Missile) Coastal Defence System (CDS) squadrons. Poland was the first nation to acquire the NSM CDS capability in 2008, and then with an additional squadron in 2014. The contract award builds on more than a decade of successful cooperation between KONGSBERG, the Polish Government and Polish industry. The new deliveries will carry on into the 2030s. The Coastal Defence System is using NASAMS command and control with NSM control functionality. Polish industry will contribute to significant parts of the scope, including the communication system, vehicles and part of the command and control system, as well as taking part in system integration activities.
“The NSM coastal defence system plays a significant role in supporting nations’ ability to defend their territory and citizens. We are proud to support Poland in building up such a capability. The determination demonstrated by the Polish Ministry of National Defence to acquire more NSM CDS is a sign of trust and confirms that our system represents the most effective capability available” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
“This contract is the largest single contract in the history of KONGSBERG and is an important milestone in our more than 200 year long history. Poland has been a long-standing partner, and we are proud to sign this agreement. With the changed security situation in Europe, Poland is firm in its commitment to ensure important defence capabilities, and for KONGSBERG as an industry partner, this ensures predictability to invest and continue to build capacity to deliver on these needs”, says Geir Håøy, President and CEO of KONGSBERG.
As part of the contract, KONGSBERG will provide training and technical support, including simulators, to enable Polish personnel to conduct maintenance services in Poland. The NSM can be launched from both land- and sea-based platforms and is already in use by, or under delivery to, 12 countries. The NSM is a fifth generation Strike Missile and regarded as the most advanced naval strike missile in the world, initially developed by KONGSBERG for the Norwegian Navy. The missile’s stealth design makes it difficult to detect and its seeker system enables Autonomous Target Recognition of the targets. The contract is dependent on approved export financing. The financing is expected to be finalized within a few weeks.
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA). The original Norwegian name was Nytt sjømålsmissil (literally “New sea target missile”, indicating that it is the successor of the Penguin missile). The English marketing name Naval Strike Missile was adopted later. According to Kongsberg the NSM/JSM is selected by Norway, Poland, Malaysia, Germany, the United States, Japan, Romania, Canada, Australia and Spain. An NSM coastal battery consists of three missile launch vehicles (MLV), one battery command vehicle (BCV), three combat command vehicles (CCV), one mobile communication center (MCC), one mobile radar vehicle (MRV) with TRS-15C radar, one transport and loading vehicle (TLV), and one mobile workshop vehicle (MWV). Each MLV carries 4 missiles and can be connected to the CCV by optical fiber or radio up to 10 km (6.2 mi) away; up to 6 launchers with 24 missiles can be netted together at once.
