Kongsberg and Raytheon announced a teaming agreement this week to develop and market the Norwegian company’s JSM (joint strike missile) for the air-launched OASuW (offensive anti-surface warfare) mission.

For Raytheon (Chalet C7-9) this represents an opportunity to add a state-of-the art air-launched, anti-ship weapon to its offering without the burden of development costs, while Kongsberg (Chalet K6) not only gains better access to certain markets, but can also draw on some of Raytheon’s technologies for adding features and for future versions. The two companies have not defined detailed workshare, but would treat campaign leads for export on a case-by-case basis.

Development of the missile has been funded by the Norwegian government, with the final phase currently undergoing parliamentary review, but Raytheon and Kongsberg see considerable opportunities for the JSM elsewhere. The two companies have a good history of co-operation, notably through the Nasams surface-launched Amraam program.

Derived from the Kongsberg NSM (naval strike missile), the JSM has been sized to fit in the internal bay of the Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF. Although Norway is currently the only nation with a stated requirement for the JSM, it could prove attractive to other partners in the program. The weapon is scheduled to be included in the Block 4 iteration of JSF, but that is not due until around 2022. JSM’s development should be complete by 2017.

Given this gap, a market could be found for JSM outside of the JSF world. To that end Kongsberg has already performed fit-checks on a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet and a Lockheed Martin F-16. Captive-carry flights are likely to be undertaken on an F-16 next year, and Norway might move ahead with integration of JSM on the type for its own air force to cater for the delay in F-35 integration.