Australia will work with Kongsberg Defence Australia to domestically produce long-range missiles, including the air-launched Joint Strike Missile (JSM).
Canberra will contribute A$850 million (US$573 million) to a partnership with the Norwegian company’s Australian branch to manufacture and maintain missiles near Newcastle Airport, the Australian Department of Defence said.
The factory will produce both the air-launched JSM and its ship-based counterpart, the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
“It will be one of only two facilities in the world capable of producing these missiles,” the Defense Ministry explains.
“The other site is Kongsberg, Norway. The JSM – which can be mounted on the F-35A aircraft – and the NSM are advanced anti-ship cruise missiles designed to defeat high-performance enemy warships. Both can also be used against land-based targets.”
Australia has long been interested in the long-range JSM, which can be carried domestically by the F-35A.
According to Kongsberg’s website, the JSM is currently undergoing “qualification and integration processes” with the Norwegian Air Force. The company says the weapon, which flies at high subsonic speeds, has a range of 150 nautical miles (275 km).
“JSM includes an advanced mission planning system to leverage maritime and land geography,” the company says.
“JSM uses a high-precision navigation system and a low-altitude flight profile. Automatic target recognition is supported by an advanced imaging infrared seeker.”
This move comes against the backdrop of China’s military buildup, which includes a massive naval expansion to strengthen Canberra’s national defense capabilities.
Should a regional conflict with China arise, there would likely be a great need for weapons such as the JSM and the Lockheed AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missile, which will be integrated into the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets.
The RAAF will operate a total of 72 F-35As, supplemented by 24 F/A-18Fs.
