Australia Partners With Norway's Kongsberg To Build AU$850M Missile Manufacturing Facility

Australia is joining forces with Norway's Kongsberg Defense to develop a joint missile manufacturing facility in Newcastle to notch up its defense potential.

The proposed facility will be Norway's first site to sit outside of its soil. The long-range missiles manufactured in the AU$850 million facility will join the inventory of the Australian Defense Force enhancing the nation's precision strike facilities, Reuters reported.

The facility that will be built in the Newcastle Airport Precinct, will manufacture both air-launched Joint Strike Missile (JSM) and the ship-launched Naval Strike Missile (NSM), making the second entry in the list of only two such facilities in the world.

Australia's commitment to self-reliance in defense is underscored by this move, which also strengthens its partnership with key allies, as it also prepares to co-manufacture guided missiles with the United States under the AUKUS defense technology accord next year.

"It will be one of only two facilities in the world capable of producing the missiles," DoD said in a statement, per FlightGlobal. "The other site is in Kongsberg, Norway. The JSM – which can be fitted to the F-35A aircraft – and NSM are modern anti-ship cruise missiles designed to defeat highly capable enemy warships. Both can also be deployed against land-based targets."

With a 275-kilometer range at high subsonic speeds, Australia has long been interested in the JSM, which is compatible with the F-35A and supports ongoing certification efforts by the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

"The establishment of the manufacturing facility at the Newcastle Airport precinct will help make Australia more self-reliant and boost war stocks while supporting the local economy and Australia's defense industry," Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy's office said in a statement.