Australia has awarded Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace a contract worth about $96 million to supply joint strike missiles from the Norwegian company’s newly opened factory at the Newcastle Airport precinct in New South Wales.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the JSMs, scheduled for delivery in 2025, will accelerate Canberra’s goal of boosting the Australian Defence Force’s long-range strike capability while producing more missiles locally. The government’s investment in long-range ADF strike capabilities “is central to our ability to protect Australia’s security and advance our national interests,” he added.
In August, Canberra announced it would contribute up to $572 million to the Kongsberg plant, which is expected to create 150 local jobs. Kongsberg is among the 13 companies in Australia’s Global Supply Chain program under its Defence Industry Development Strategy.
In addition to the JSMs, Kongsberg’s Newcastle facility will manufacture naval strike missile launchers from mostly Australian-made components, requiring an additional 20 workers.
The government’s contribution to the Kongsberg project is part of Defence Australia’s efforts to consolidate guided weapons and explosive ordnance capabilities, with support from an integrated investment program of between $10 billion and $14 billion over the next 10 years.