Royal Navy fires Naval Strike Missile for first time

HMS Somerset, a Type 23 frigate in service with the Royal Navy has fired a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) for the first time. This firing is important, it means that the Royal Navy is improving its long-range strike capabilities for its surface fleet, making the ships of the class more lethal against a range of targets. 

The launch took place during an exercise known as Aegir 25 which was held at Norway’s Arctic rocket range in Andøya, the Navy’s press release from September 29 explains. HMS Somerset is one of three Type 23s fitted with the missile, which is added as a pair of launchers to the rear of the existing vertical launch cells, replacing the old Harpoon missile launchers. 

The other frigates include HMS Portland and HMS Richmond, which have been fitted with the Naval Strike Missile launchers. A total of 11 Royal Navy vessels are expected to be outfitted with them under the contract signed in 2022, and that is expected to include the Type 45 air defence destroyers. The programme has moved quickly, according to the Navy, with the first installation occurring 12 months after the business case was approved. 

HMS Somerset was the first to receive its NSM launch pods and was  fitted with them in late 2023, marking the Initial Operating Capability for the missiles. Ships are required to visit Haakonsvern Naval Base in Bergen, Norway, which is close to a Kongsberg factory, to be fitted with the missile launch canisters.

Eventually the new missiles will complement the “‘Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon’, which will become the Fleet’s premier long-range, heavy duty anti-ship missile, carried by the Royal Navy’s next-generation warships fitted with the Mk41 vertical launch system (including the new Type 26 and 31 frigates),” the Navy states. 

The Naval Strike Missile and its air-launched counterpart, the Joint Strike Missile are gaining popularity around the world. This year, Denmark announced its procurement of the weapon for its Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates in order to replace the existing Harpoon anti-ship missiles, for instance. The US Navy placed the largest missile order in Kongsberg’s history in November 2024; the missiles are thought to equip the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships and Constellation-class Frigates as well as the USMC’s NMESIS (Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System).

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This represents an important shift in the Royal Navy’s posture and role. Previously, the surface fleet has primarily served in a defensive role, providing air defence and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Long-range precision weapons were the preserve of the Royal Air Force and the UK’s nuclear attack submarines. Adding the Naval Strike Missile, with its range in excess of 300 km, will replace and upgrade the Harpoon in the anti-ship role, but the missile can also be used against land-based targets. 

The head of the Royal Navy, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, explained during DSEI that the Royal Navy will become a trail blazer for NATO in the adoption of autonomous platforms. His principle will be, “uncrewed wherever possible; crewed only where necessary…If this sounds fanciful, it is not. It is my aim to have the first of our uncrewed escort ships sailing alongside our Royal Navy warships within the next two years,” he said. This includes plans like Project CABOT, which will contribute to the UK’s Atlantic Bastion concept, which is expected to deploy uncrewed vessels alongside the UK’s submarines and Type 26 frigates. However, it is not yet clear if or how those autonomous platforms will be armed. It is all well and good detecting enemy vessels and submarines at greater ranges, but it is sometimes alarming that the autonomous systems appear to distract from the kinetic effects that are necessary and proven in war. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on September 29, 2025. Credit for the lead image is the Royal Navy.