Deliveries under the agreement are expected to be completed by the end of June 2030. The order extends U.S. Air Force procurement of the JSM, a fifth-generation stealth air-to-surface missile.
The JSM can be carried internally by the F-35A, allowing the aircraft to maintain its low-signature capabilities. That feature makes the missile closely tied to the operational profile of the fifth-generation fighter.
Kongsberg said the JSM has been selected by Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway and the United States. The latest U.S. Air Force order reinforces the missile’s role in allied F-35A weapons planning through the end of the decade.
Kongsberg describes the JSM as a missile based on the proven technology of its Naval Strike Missile, with design priorities including survivability, lethality and target selectivity. According to Kongsberg materials, the missile has high subsonic speed, weighs 416 kg, is 4.00 metres long and has a range of more than 350 km, while using features such as passive sensors, terrain-following flight, autonomous target recognition and high-agility end-game manoeuvres.
