Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS has entered into contract with Japan to supply the initial deliveries of Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for their fleet of F-35 fighter aircraft. The JSM development started in 2008 and was completed in mid-2018 after a series of successful validation test firings.

“This is an important international breakthrough which demonstrates the importance of cooperation between Norwegian authorities, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and Norwegian industry,” CEO of Kongsberg Geir Håøy, explained.

Tokyo previously planned to procure 42 F-35A models. However, according to news sources, Japan will be adding 63 F-35A models, as well as 42 F-35B models, for a total of 147 F-35 fighters.

Operators of the JSM include the Royal Norwegian and the Polish Navy,with future operators include the German, Royal Malaysian and US Navy.

“The international F-35 user consortium is showing great interest in the JSM and Kongsberg is very proud to have been selected by Japan to provide the JSM for their F-35 fleet. This is a major milestone for the JSM program, entering into the production phase,” Eirik Lie, President, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS, concluded.

In a written statement, Kongsberg stressed that neither the company nor the Government of Japan are disclosing value or volume of the contract.