Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) was selected by Japan to equip F-35 fighter jets with Joint Strike Missile JSM. The JSM development started in 2008 and was completed in mid-2018 after successful certification trials.

The JSM missile is one of the two anti-ship missiles to be equipped with the US F-35 fighter, the other being the SOM-J Turkish rocket. The JSM missile is made of composite materials that reduce its electromagnetic trace, its design incorporates stealth technology, is 4 meters long and weighs 400 kg.

The Norwegian rocket has a 125 kg high explosive warhead and its guidance towards the target is initially made using a GPS / INS system which, combined with the shipping data stored on the rocket computer, allows JSM to fly and avoid the embossing based on a database that it has.

In the final phase the passive IIR sensor is activated, which detects the target and thanks to a sophisticated software it recognizes and then traps the target.

“This is an important international breakthrough which demonstrates the importance of cooperation between Norwegian authorities, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and Norwegian industry”, says CEO of KONGSBERG Geir Håøy.

Another important element of the Norwegian missile is the Link 16 data link system that incorporates that allows two-way connection of JSM with the missile launching aircraft and the constant updating of the missile with new data from the aircraft, even changing the target which is going to hit and redefined its flight to the new target amid the original mission.

Norwegian company announced JSM as the only long-range sea- and land-target missile that can be carried internally in the F-35 but in fact Turkey’s ROKETSAN’s SOM-J in cooperation with Lockheed Martin is on trials at F35 internal bay.