The contract covers full-rate production and sustainment of the NMESIS launcher unit and weapon control system. Work will be split between Norway and Pennsylvania and funded by individual orders.
Contract: firm-fixed-price, up to $404.4 million for Naval Strike Missile (NSM) launcher units, weapon control systems, and support.
Force posture: Marine Corps made NMESIS its primary long-range anti-ship weapon and requested 32 launchers and 103 missiles in its fiscal 2027 budget.
What the contract is and what it buys
Where the work will be done and how the award was justified
Kongsberg will perform about 85% of the work in Kongsberg, Norway, and the remaining 15% in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, through Sept. 24, 2034. The Marine Corps did not compete the award, citing a federal sole-source rule that applies when only one supplier can meet the requirement. The contract is managed by the Marine Corps' Portfolio Acquisition Executive at Quantico, Virginia.
How the launchers fit into Marine Corps force design
The launchers are fielded as part of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). Each NMESIS launcher carries two NSMs mounted on a remote, unmanned version of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (the ROGUE-Fires variant). Without a crew cab, the ROGUE-Fires vehicle can move between concealed coastal firing positions while operators remain offsite.
The NSM is a stealthy, sea-skimming anti-ship missile with an imaging infrared seeker and an onboard database that helps it identify the correct ship target. Kongsberg lists the missile's range as more than 300 km. The Marine Corps has described NMESIS as having an effective striking range of roughly 185 km. The missile weighs 407 kg (897 pounds). Raytheon is Kongsberg's U.S. production partner, and the U.S. Navy also fields the NSM on some warships.
Program progress and recent deployments
The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment received the first NMESIS launchers in November 2024. Marines deployed launchers across northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands for Balikatan 2025 and took NMESIS to Okinawa for training the same summer. During Balikatan 2026, Marines airlifted NMESIS launchers by C-130J to Itbayat and landed them by ship on Calayan in the Luzon Strait.
Acquisitions context and related buys
The Marine Corps has designated NMESIS as its principal long-range anti-ship weapon and dropped plans for a ground-launched Tomahawk. The fiscal 2027 budget request included 32 NMESIS launchers and 103 NSMs. Separately, Oshkosh received delivery orders for additional ROGUE-Fires vehicles through September 2028, and Kongsberg received a modification earlier in the year for launcher missile modules.
The announcement did not specify how many launcher units or weapon control systems the Marine Corps plans to order under the contract ceiling. The contract's structure—orders funded individually—means acquisition pacing and ultimate quantities will depend on future decisions and budgets.
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