Marine Corps to Procure Naval Strike Missile

The Naval Strike Missile, originally designed by Norway’s Kongsberg.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Using the congressionally approved Other Transaction Authority with the Marine Corps Systems Command, Raytheon will integrate the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) into the Marine Corps’ existing force structure.

In recent years the Corps has determined a need to field an anti-ship missile to defend its forces ashore and the fleet that supports them.

Randy Kempton, Raytheon’s NSM program director, briefing reporters at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space exposition here, was not at liberty to discuss which platforms would deploy the NSM. He did say the Corps had a lot of integration options and that the missile would be the same as the one on order with the U.S. Navy.

The Navy has selected the Naval Strike Missile for its littoral combat ships and new-generation guided-missile frigate.

The NSM is a fifth-generation long-range precision-strike cruise missile originally designed by Kongsberg. A mobile, land-based version is deployed with the coastal defense forces of Poland.

The missile is produced “in partnership with Norway and its defense leader Kongsberg,” a May 7 Raytheon release said. “The Marine Corps’ selection of the Navy’s anti-ship missile enhances joint interoperability and reduces costs and logistical burdens.”