The announcement came only on 23 October, but the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS FITZGERALD (DDG 62) fired the first Naval Strike Missile (NSM) back on 18 July while participating in the ‘Rim of the Pacific' (RIMPAC) 2024 exercise.
The launch was organized by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) within a SINKEX event with live firing against a decommissioned ship hulk. The NSM was originally developed by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence and Aerospoace but was marketed by Raytheon in the US. Raytheon has established production capability in Tucson, Arizona, although, depending on the production lot, it can be lead producer or a major sub contractor to Kongsberg.
In years 2019 to 2023, Raytheon was the manufacturer, but when the DoD signed the first, and current Multi-Year Procurement contract (Fiscal Years 2024 to 2028) it elected to sign it with Kongsberg as sole source and Raytheon in “major sub-contractor” position.
US Navy and USMC bundle together their NSM missile procurement to ensure economical production rates are maintained. Under the MYP, the US Navy is acquiring 14 missiles in FY24, 12 in FY25, 13 in FY26 and 14 in FY27 and 28, with expectation to continue beyond that point, keeping the rate unchanged in 2029. In the Fiscal Years 2019 to 2023 included, the US Navy ordered some 110 missiles.
As recently as in the FY 2025 Budget Request documentation, the US Navy refers to the NSM as a weapon system for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Frigate, Guided Missile (FFG), with no mention at all of the DDG fleet. However, the Navy has for some time been evaluating way sto enhance the firepower of its large surface combatants.
Fitting the NSM to DDG 62 in “record time” for RIMPAC was part of these considerations. Normally, a first of class installation takes “at least” a couple of years but work on FITZGERALD was kick-started only in September 2023, compressing timelines. Each NSM installation obviously revolves around the launcher and an operator interface console. Fitting the canistered missiles themselves once the ship is “wired” is the fast part. The physical installation of what is known as Over-the-Horizon (OTH) Weapon System happened at Naval Base San Diego from mid-March to late May 2024 after a greatly accelerated phase of certification and cyber security assessment to secure authority to operate (ATO).
The new weapon system is still technically authorized only as a temporary installation on FITZGERALD, but the team is working to secure approval for it to stay on the ship indefinitely. This first-of-class fit is due to “inform” options for the rest of the DDG fleet. A formal expansion of the NSM program to the DDGs would massively increase the scope of the procurement.
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