Kongsberg showcases several flagship products
At LIMA 2017 in Malaysia, Kongsberg is showcasing several flagship products, including a full-scale model of the NSM Naval Strike Missile (NSM), which occupies a very important place in the company’s portfolio for Asian customers. The system, already in use in Norway and Poland, was procured by Malaysia (an announcement was made during LIMA 2015) for the Second-Generation Patrol Vessel (SGPV), a vessel based on the DCNS GOWIND-class corvette design. It is reported that each Malaysian ship will carry eight missiles. In February 2017 it was announced that Norway and Germany will jointly develop an improved version of the NSM which will ultimately serve in both countries. “The missile is still very young. It was tested in 2012 and without a doubt can be called a fifth-generation missile,” Kyrre Lohne, Vice-President, Strategic Communications at Kongsberg Defence Systems told Mönch.
He also confirmed that Kongsberg is competing in the United States, where the company is aiming to supply missiles and ship equipment for the Littoral Combat Ship. According to Kongsberg a decision is expected most likely in 2018.
Also on Kongsberg’s stand is a command-and-control demonstrator for the NASAMS ground-based air-defence system. Based on a ground version of the Raytheon AIM-120 missile, it is very popular in the Western hemisphere, where it serves in the armed forces of the United States, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, and Spain, among others, and is in production for Finland, while Greece, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey have selected its C2 solution. Last year, Lithuania also decided to procure it. The company hopes the presence of NASAMS at LIMA 2017 will generate interest from several Asian customers and indicated it is already in competition for several requirements in the region.
Kongsberg is also exhibiting the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) air-to-surface missile designed jointly with Raytheon for the F-35A/C Block 4 aircraft. “This is the only missile designed especially for the F-35,” Lohne told MT, adding that the missile can be integrated with any modern platform.
During LIMA 2017 a full-scale model was shown alongside the TYPHOON 1:1 scale replica with BAE Systems. The JSM was shown with other systems including MBDA’s MARTE ER anti-ship missile and Thales’ DAMOCLES multifunction targeting pod. Among the users of the latter system is Malaysia (for its Su-30MKMs), while MARTE ER missiles were ordered in February 2017 by the naval forces of the United Arab Emirates.
Robert Czulda
