Kongberg Defence & Aerospace will lead Diehl Defence and MBDA Deutschland a new partnership agreement, established on 13 May 2024, for the development of the future German and Norwegian SuperSonic Strike Missile (3SM) Tyrfing.
The 3SM will be a new, long-distance, manoeuvrable naval strike missile, to be deployed on German and Norwegian naval vessels alongside the existing Naval Strike Missile (NSM) capability that was developed in the 2000’s under Kongsberg’s development leadership.
The new advanced long-range strike capability will be intended to meet future surface threats.
“As we have seen over the last two years, stand-off weapons are crucial for credible deterrence and defence,” said Thomas Gottschild, managing director of MBDA Deutschland.
“Joining forces between our companies will strengthen the Norwegian, German and European armed forces improving the defence of our home nations,” continued Gottschild.
The partnership formed in May 2024 will bring together missile development experience from the three companies, and the team will work closely with the Norwegian and German Defence Forces and associated national research organisations.
An appreciation for the collegiate development process was also expressed by senior representatives from Diehl Defence and Kongsberg.
Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg said he was “impressed with the depth and capabilities in this team” and that he looked forward to cooperating with Diehl Defence and MBDA Deutschland and combining our teams’ knowledge and expertise to develop 3SM for both of our nations.”
Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence said: “We are proud having established a team of the best experts of our companies, who complement each other, trust each other and contribute their individual knowledge and skills. Together, we will develop a game changer with 3SM that none of us could develop on our own.”
The start of development for the 3SM project was announced in November 2023 by the Norwegian government, with Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, highlighted the value of the project to Norway and International partners
“The project will continue to extend this strategically important expertise, so we can continue to develop missiles that are attractive to other NATO countries and close allies," said Gram.
