Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a $141 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to supply Joint Strike Missiles for the service’s F-35A fighters.
Under the agreement, the Norwegian company will produce the air-to-air missiles and supply USAF with all up rounds, containers and test equipment.
In a statement, Kongsberg confirmed the deal, noting that delivery of the weapons system will commence in 2026.
According to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace President Eirik Lie, JSM with the advanced F-35 aircraft will create a formidable strike capability.
“The selection of JSMs by both the USAF and Royal Norwegian Air Force also fully supports NATO’s vision for interchangeability of equipment between allied nations,” Lie said.
Work under the sole-source acquisition will be performed in Norway until August 2026, the Department of Defense said.
Kongsberg noted that it will coordinate closely with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, while working on the contract requirements.
Modeled after Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile, JSM features an advanced mission planning system for sea and land geography exploits and imaging infrared seeker for automatic target recognition.
The missiles also boast an accurate navigation system and low-altitude flight profile.