The governments of Australia and Norway have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further support the acquisition and domestic manufacturing of missiles in Australia.
The multilateral arrangement will enhance information sharing and collaboration between Australia, Norway and 10 other countries that use air- and ship-launched cruise missiles developed by defence company Kongsberg.
The arrangement will support Australia to become a regional missile production hub, the Australian Department of Defence has confirmed.
The "strike missile family" MOU will support Australia’s efforts to acquire, manufacture and maintain Kongsberg's "naval strike missile" NSM and "joint strike missile" (JSM) in line with the 2026 National Defence Strategy and the 2024 Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Plan.
The Australian Government is investing up to AU$850 million (US$610 million) to enable Australia to locally manufacture and maintain the NSM, JSM and priority missile components. This includes the construction of a new missile factory in Newcastle, which will be able to produce missiles for the Australian Defence Force and partner nations from 2027.