US defense industry major Raytheon has awarded Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace a 1,350 million Norwegian krone (approx. $137M) contract for delivery of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) coastal defense system to Romania.
Kongsberg received the contract after Romania and the United States signed a letter of acceptance (LOA) for the NSM in April last year. The LOA was signed a little over six months after the US approved a possible sale of two coastal defense systems with fire distribution centers and four mobile launch vehicles in October 2020.
The Romanian defense ministry said at the time the purchase would come with a price tag of around $286 million excluding taxes, with delivery expected by 2024.
“Romania’s selection of our NSM coastal defense system is an important milestone. Their selection confirms that our world leading solutions are contributing to a nation’s security. The NSM-based system will provide Romania with the most modern and effective coastal defense available today. The contract also continues the successful cooperation we have with Raytheon Missiles & Defense,” says Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS.
The Naval Strike Missile flies at sea-skimming altitude with a 500-pound class warhead with a programmable fuze and can engage targets both at sea and on land.
NSM can be launched from both land- and sea-based platforms. The missile recently scored several successes as a replacement for the Harpoon anti-ship missile, having been selected as the new missile of choice by Spain, the UK and the Netherlands.
