Leidos and Kongsberg eye Naval Strike Missile fit for Australia’s uncrewed surface vessels.

Leidos Australia and Kongsberg Defence Australia have signed a framework MOU to explore integrating the Naval Strike Missile on Leidos’ Sea Archer USV and its larger Longbow variant. The plan outlines roles, milestones, and demonstrations, with initial work in Australia and complementary trials in the United States in 2026, a move pitched as a fast, modular strike option that grows the local industrial base.

Leidos says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with Kongsberg Defence Australia to assess Naval Strike Missile (NSM) integration on the Sea Archer family of uncrewed surface vessels, including the extended Longbow model. The company describes a defined framework for responsibilities and milestones, with Australian industrial activity standing up now and cross-bench trials scheduled in 2026, positioning the concept as a sovereign, rapidly deployable maritime strike layer. The announcement was posted on November 6, 2025, and highlights specifications such as Sea Archer’s 40 knot top speed, roughly 1,500 nautical mile range, and more than 900 kilogram payload, plus Longbow’s four OXE 300 horsepower diesels that lift payload to about 3,000 kilograms and extend range beyond 2,750 nautical miles.
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NSM-equipped USVs operating under EMCON disperse in littorals to gather intelligence and hold naval or coastal targets at risk, complicating an adversary’s kill chain (Picture source: Leidos/Kongsberg)

Sea Archer is described as a high-speed USV designed for endurance and modular payloads. At launch, Leidos cites sprint speeds up to 40 knots, a range of about 1,500 nautical miles, and a payload above 900 kilograms for strike, logistics resupply, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The Australian production line emphasizes local participation from hull construction to autonomy software and in-service support, consistent with a resilient national supply chain.

At the next tier, Longbow increases volume and endurance. Leidos reports a payload capacity of roughly 3,000 kilograms and a range exceeding 2,750 nautical miles. Propulsion is provided by four OXE marine diesel outboards rated at 300 horsepower each, selected for torque, fuel commonality with fleet logistics, and simplified support at austere sites. Published data for the OXE 300 indicate a torque advantage over gasoline equivalents, useful for heavy launch and recovery in higher sea states.

Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a subsonic, sea-skimming cruise missile for anti-ship and land-attack roles, equipped with an imaging infrared seeker and autonomous target recognition to prosecute complex targets in littoral and blue-water environments. Open sources and official documents describe a weapon optimized for survivability through low signature, terminal manoeuvres, and precise aim-point selection. Reported range varies by publication and export configuration, but open literature generally credits the NSM with more than 100 nautical miles, with some recent descriptions indicating longer distances depending on user and context. Propulsion combines a Microturbo TRI-40 turbojet with a solid-fuel booster for launch.

The NSM-USV pairing opens unexpected firing angles at sea. Dispersed, low-profile units with long reach can move within littorals under EMCON, collect intelligence and keep naval or coastal targets at risk while complicating an adversary’s kill chain. A Longbow section can operate ahead of crewed ships, accept third-party designation via line-of-sight relays or satellite links, and deliver weapons from less-likely azimuths to stress defences. The NSM’s imaging infrared seeker and autonomous classification reduce reliance on continuous external illumination in the terminal phase. With more than 2,700 nautical miles of endurance, a deployment-rearm-reengage cycle can run from austere sites, at sea, or in sheltered coves, stretching search areas and drawing down stocks in outer-layer air and missile defences.

At the operational level, the approach extends fleet fires without tying down frigates or destroyers. A USV screen adds launch cells and frees payload margins on major combatants, with modular logistics embarked on auxiliaries or prepositioned ashore. Interoperability follows, as the NSM is in service or on order with several NATO navies and the United States, while Australia plans licensed production of the NSM and the Joint Strike Missile in Newcastle from 2027. This commonality facilitates parts pooling, software configuration control, and combined training, and supports shared targeting and battle damage assessment across coalition naval groups.

The memorandum of understanding aligns with Indo-Pacific trends toward resilient strike networks combining crewed platforms, long-range missiles, and attritable uncrewed systems. For Australia, the initiative supports domestic production, export options, and sovereign integration skills while connecting with allies’ NSM ecosystems. It complements investments in long-range precision fires and maritime domain awareness that underpin AUKUS cooperation and regional burden-sharing. As Kongsberg expands industrial capacity and Australia increases local production, supply risk and timelines are reduced, and the regional balance of denial capabilities hardens, affecting risk calculations in the South China Sea and archipelagic chokepoints.