Photo credit: Royal Navy
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A Royal Navy warship has completed the first firing of new ship-busting missiles capable of taking out enemy vessels at ranges of more than 100 miles.
Plymouth-based frigate HMS Somerset headed to Norway’s Arctic rocket range in Andøya to unleash the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during an exercise – known as Aegir 25 – alongside Norwegian and Polish allies.
The successful missile launch marks a major milestone on the journey to make the Royal Navy more lethal – and is demonstration of the strong bilateral cooperation between the UK and Norway.
The 400kg NSM can be used against warships or land targets and is 20 years newer, has greater range and is a far more capable successor than the Harpoon system on Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard said: “The NSM is one of the most advanced missiles in our naval arsenal. It will give the Royal Navy and our allies an edge against our enemies.”
“This milestone, achieved through our exemplary international partnership with Norway, significantly enhances our maritime deterrent and underscores the Government’s dedication to investing in the technologies that will maintain Britain’s secure.”
Commander Matt Millyard, Commanding Officer of HMS Somerset said: “I am very proud of the team following the successful first of class firing of the Naval Strike Missile.
“This is not something that comes together easily and has involved an incredible amount of work by the crew and staff from across the defence enterprise.
“The professionalism and teamwork demonstrated by all throughout the planning and execution has been exemplary.”
The successful firing was the culmination of months of dedicated work, which involved meticulous planning and thorough tuning of the system – including alignment and sea acceptance trials.
Staff from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace – who manufacture NSM – were on board HMS Somerset supporting prior and during the firing.
The NSM, which is also in service with the Norwegian, US and Polish navies, travels close to supersonic speeds (Mach 1) and can strike targets more than 100 miles away, evading detection by skimming on the sea.
It will be a complementary weapon for the ‘Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon’, which will become the Fleet’s premier long-range, heavy duty anti-ship missile, carried by the Royal Navy’s next-generation warships fitted with the Mk41 vertical launch system (including the new Type 26 and 31 frigates).
Commander Matthew Cox, NSM Programme Director said: “This programme showcases the strong UK-Norwegian strategic partnership, enabling the UK to achieve its first ship installation within 12 months of business case approval – an unprecedented pace for a complex weapons programme.
“The UK’s first NSM firing, hosted by Norway at Andøya, further highlights this enduring collaboration.”
Currently NSM is fitted to HMS Richmond, HMS Somerset and HMS Portland.
Norwegian-led Aegir 25 continues to the end of September as allies conduct firings – including from land-based launch systems and by Norway’s Coastal Ranger Command.