The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has successfully test-fired a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during the US Navy (USN)-hosted ‘RIMPAC’ exercise off Hawaii.
The NSM anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) system was fired from the RAN’s Hobart-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG) HMAS Sydney, during an 18 July SINKEX serial targeting the retired USN amphibious ship USS Tarawa.
The RAN is acquiring NSM within a wider programme of increasing its strike capabilities, to enhance lethality across the fleet. Under Australia’s 2023 Defence Strategic Review, 2024 National Defence Strategy, and a standalone study on the RAN’s future surface force structure, the navy is building this lethality to support Australia’s shift from a balanced to a focused defence force, with this focus designed to generate a strategy of denial through building deterrence presence at sea. The enhanced lethality includes deploying NSM onboard the RAN’s Hobart DDGs and Anzac-class guided-missile frigates, replacing the in-service Harpoon ASCM.
The RAN’s future Hunter-class guided-missile frigates are set to receive an advanced anti-ship missile, although the missile to be selected is not yet confirmed.
Such surface fleet-based lethality is central to the concept of delivering deterrence by denial.
Sydney’s NSM test firing in the ‘RIMPAC’ SINKEX serial represented “a major milestone in integrating enhanced lethality strike capabilities into the surface combatant fleet”, according to a media release put out by the office of Pat Conroy MP, the Australian government’s defence industry minister.
In the media release, RAN Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said “Sydney’s firing of NSM during ‘RIMPAC 2024’ represents a significant increase in the lethality of our surface fleet, and delivers on our commitment to accelerate the introduction of enhanced-lethality strike capabilities.”
“NSM is a key capability for the lethality enhancement and survivability of our ships, and enables our ability to hold an adversary at risk at greater range,” Vice Adm Hammond continued. “Multi-domain strike capabilities including NSM are foundational to deterring any potential adversary’s attempts to project power against Australia.”
NSM is manufactured by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence Systems. The USN is also deploying the missile, with US company Raytheon partnering with Kongsberg to deliver the capability into USN service.
by Dr. Lee Willett
