Kongsberg's new missile factory in Norway, which opened in June 2024. The new Kongsberg missile facility being built in Virginia is expected to be similar. (Kongsberg)
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is building a new facility in James City County, Virginia, to produce Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs) and Joint Strike Missiles (JSMs), the company said in a 17 September statement. This is the latest expansion of Kongsberg's global production capabilities. A new factory has been opened in Norway and plans were announced in August 2024 to build an NSM and a JSM factory in the Newcastle Airport precinct in New South Wales, Australia.
Kongsberg will invest USD71 million to establish the 150,000 sq ft (13,935 m 2 ) facility in James City County and an additional USD30 million for other costs, including engineering and software, according to a statement from the office of Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin.
There has been growing demand for defence equipment since before the conflict in Ukraine, particularly for missiles, air-defence missile systems, and weapon stations, Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, told Janes in an 18 September interview. This demand increased after 2022, resulting in the decision to build new missile and air-defence system factories in Norway, with a new NSM and JSM factory opening in June, according to a Kongsberg statement at the time. Increased US demand for NSMs and JSMs led the company to decide to invest in a US factory, Lie said.
The decision was influenced by an anticipated multi-year contract from the US Department of Defense (DoD) for NSMs and JSMs, the statement said.
Looking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...
