Defence in brief: Safran and Kongsberg Renew Partnership for NSM Engines

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Safran Power Units announced on June 17, the renewal of their long-term cooperation agreement for the propulsion of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM). The agreement includes a new order for hundreds of TR40 turbojet engines, reinforcing the collaboration between the two companies.

This renewed partnership is vital for Kongsberg, Øyvind Kolset, Executive Vice President, Missiles and Space, at Kongsberg states in the press release. Safran Power Units has been a long-standing supplier of the TR-40 engine which powers the NSM. The missile’s increasing success across European Union and NATO nations has prompted both Kongsberg and Safran to strengthen their relationship and accelerate production to meet rising demand. 

The NSM has seen considerable recent activity and procurement. In November 2024, Kongsberg secured an $896 million deal to provide NSM to the US Navy and Marine Corps over five years, marking the company’s largest missile order. Furthermore, Denmark officially acquired the NSM and associated equipment in March 2025 for its Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates, and is also considering reactivating its coastal defence capabilities with NSM batteries. The Royal Navy has also been integrating the NSM onto its Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers.

Calibre comment

Several factors are driving NSM sales, one is that some navies – like the Royal Navy – have lacked any real offensive capability for their surface vessels for the past three decades. Another is that the Harpoon, which has been a mainstay of anti-ship warfare for some time, is growing less capable in the face of modern air defences. For the US, the sales are driven by the need to prepare for what is expected to be a largely maritime and littoral war in the Indo-Pacific, which has led to even the US Army considering anti-ship capabilities. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on 26th June, 2025.