The Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO or FMI) has decided to enter a government-to-government agreement with Norway for the procurement of Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) from Kongsberg.
As per information posted on the European Union’s Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) platform, the proposed contract’s value ranges between DKr900m ($126.35m) and DKr1.5bn.
This valuation accounts for the necessity to protect sensitive information from international adversaries.
In the TED post, DALO said that direct government engagement is the most suitable approach to secure these missiles, aligning with Denmark’s defence objectives.
The ministry notes a comprehensive market analysis concluded that the proposed arrangement offers optimal capability against operational requirements, including cost-effectiveness, expedited delivery, and no comparable alternatives in terms of value and efficiency.
Furthermore, the NSMs are said to be compatible with systems used by Denmark’s allies, ensuring seamless interoperability in joint operations.
Based on these factors, DALO believes that the criteria outlined in Article 13(f) of the EU Defence Directive are satisfied, justifying this direct acquisition approach.
The NSM can be deployed from various platforms to engage both maritime and land targets. The long-range precision strike weapon weighs 407kg and is 3.96m in length.
Its autonomous target recognition (ATR) ensures precise detection, recognition, and engagement of the intended target.
The missile is the primary weapon for the Royal Norwegian Navy’s frigate and coastal corvette fleet. It has garnered attention and subsequent selection by various global defence entities, including the US Navy and Marine Corps; as well as the naval forces of various countries such as Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Spain and the UK.
This acquisition comes after Kongsberg’s NSM supply contract for both the US Navy and Fleet Marine Force over five years.
