Japan builds up Joint Strike Missile inventory with fifth order

Norwegian defence prime Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace announced on 1 November that it has secured another contract from the Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) to supply its Joint Strike Missile (JSM) to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

Kongsberg stated that the new contract, which calls for an undisclosed number of JSMs worth around kr1.9 billion (US$172.5 million), is the fifth contract – and also the fourth follow-on order after the initial contract award in March 2019 – by the Japanese MOD.

“The fifth order for the Joint Strike Missile underlines the important role of the JSM in Japan’s national defense strategy and is another example of the close and growing relationship between Norway, Japan, and Kongsberg, said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

The first follow-on order was announced in November 2019, with a value of kr450 million. A second follow-on order – worth kr820 million – was announced by Kongsberg in December 2020. The third follow-on deal was not announced publicly. The latest follow-on order could thus have been the largest to date.

The JSM is an air-launched variant of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and is designed to attack sea and land-based targets. It is currently the only long-range sea- and land-target missile that can be carried internally by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) family to preserve the type’s stealthiness.

The JSM is likewise a stealthy missile that uses a combination of advanced materials and seekers with low-level flight to avoid detection and destruction by hostile countermeasures. Development of the JSM was first contracted by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA).

Japan has clearly stated its intent to enhance its long-range counterstrike capabilities under its latest National Defense Strategy to address growing regional security threats.

Current JSM operators include Australia, Norway, and the United States.

by Jr Ng