Raytheon to Manufacture Naval Strike Missile Launchers at Kentucky Facility

Raytheon has been selected to manufacture the Naval Strike Missile at a company facility in Louisville, Kentucky under an initial contract with Norway-based Kongsberg Defence Systems.

Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon said Wednesday it will also conduct final assembly, integration and tests of the NSM at a site in Tucson, Arizona.

Taylor Lawrence, Raytheon missile systems president, said the contract will help create additional job opportunities while providing launchers to its Norwegian partners.

The NSM is a long-range, anti-ship missile designed to strike land and sea targets within a range of more than 100 nautical miles.

Kongsberg will help in the continuous development of the NSM in the U.S. to support the weapon’s sustainability, Kongsberg Defence Systems President Harald Annestad.

Raytheon and Kongsberg believe the missile could function as an over-the-horizon missile for the U.S. Navy‘s Littoral Combat Ships.

Raytheon also manufactures the Phalanx, SeaRAM, and Rolling Airframe Missile close-in weapon systems out of Louisville.