The CDS command and control console is based on that of the Australian Army’s new NASAMS short-range air defence system. Image: Kongsberg Defence Australia.
Kongsberg Defence Australia (KDA), the local subsidiary of Norwegian defence giant KONGSBERG, has won its first export order for Naval Strike Missile (NSM) command and control consoles.
The order from NATO member Poland will see the consoles used for that country’s Coastal Defence System (CDS), a land-based system of vehicle-launched NSMs designed to defend against maritime threats.
The consoles are based on those developed by KDA for the Australian Army’s Project LAND 19 Phase 7B NASAMS short-range land-based air defence system which is currently being delivered.
The console has also been proposed as part of the vehicle-mounted Strikemaster system which the company has developed in conjunction with Thales Australia for the Army’s Project LAND 4100 Phase 2 land-based maritime strike (LBMS) requirement.
The company says components and subsystems for the consoles will be manufactured by Australian companies REDARC Defence & Space, Eylex Pty Ltd, and QPE Advanced Machining. It says KDA will assemble and test the consoles in its recently opened production and maintenance facility at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide.
The contract caps off a big couple of years for KDA, after the company opened its Mawson Lakes facility, successfully delivered its NASAMS components to prime contractor Raytheon Australia, the NSM was selected for the Royal Australian Navy and its air-launched JSM derivative for the Royal Australian Air Force, and the NSM was successfully test-fired from HMAS Brisbane in July.
The company also joined the Commonwealth’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise as a strategic industry partner alongside Raytheon Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia, and announced and subsequently started work on building a facility near Newcastle to manufacture NSMs and JSMs in Australia.
Poland’s CDS has four truck-mounted NSM launcher cannisters. Photo: KONGSBERG.
Managing Director of KDA John Fry said the console contract, which was awarded in December, was a huge milestone for the company.
“Together with our Australian suppliers, we have demonstrated our determination and competitiveness to be able deliver to an international NSM CDS customer,” he said.
“This will also be our first export under the Commonwealth’s Global Supply Chain Program, so creating opportunities in the international market for our local suppliers is a fantastic outcome.”
KDA’s Global Supply Chain Program Manager Erin Hamblin added, “This announcement is a great example of primes such as KDA building local supply chains by working with Australian industry to provide high technology capabilities for delivery to international customers.”
REDARC Defence & Space Executive General Manager Scott Begbie said the order is a key milestone for the company.
“We are incredibly proud to be contributing to Kongsberg Defence Australia’s success in securing this important export contract,” he said.
“This partnership builds upon our strong foundation of collaboration, beginning with our successful delivery of critical components for the NASAMS Fire Distribution Centre (FDC).
Deliveries of the consoles to Poland are expected to commence in 2026.
