Kongsberg Defence Australia’s StrikeMaster Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defence System (CDS) is positioning Australia at the forefront of land-based maritime strike capability, delivering advanced operational performance, maximum Australian industry involvement, and significant workforce benefits.
The StrikeMaster NSM CDS integrates the proven, fifth-generation NSM onto the Australian-designed Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle, creating a highly mobile, precision strike platform for both maritime and land targets. This ready-now, low-risk capability is designed for Australia’s vast and varied terrain and is deployable by air or sea.
Unlike conceptual systems still in development, StrikeMaster leverages equipment already in Australian Defence Force service. The NSM is operational with the Royal Australian Navy, and the Bushmaster has been a mainstay of Army operations for over two decades. This ensures immediate scalability, reduced costs, and seamless interoperability with allied forces.
High Australian Industry Content
The StrikeMaster program is built and sustained in Australia, with fabrication, assembly, integration, and through-life support spread across facilities in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales. More than 100 local suppliers are already involved, including:
- Kongsberg Australia Missile Production Factory – Newcastle, NSW: 25 new jobs, 100 existing workforce (2027)
- Kongsberg Integration Facility – Mawson Lakes, SA: 75 new jobs, 80 existing workforce
- Thales Protected Vehicle Centre of Excellence – Bendigo, VIC: 200 new jobs, 250 existing workforce.
By manufacturing both the vehicles and missiles domestically, StrikeMaster offers one of the highest percentages of Australian content of any major defence platform, ensuring significant job creation and securing the future of existing defence industry workforces.
Global Interest and Export Potential
With NSM already in service or on order with 14 nations and the Bushmaster recognised globally for its proven performance, the StrikeMaster NSM CDS is attracting attention from current and prospective defence partners worldwide. Export opportunities are expected to further strengthen Australia’s defence industrial base and maintain local production lines well into the future.
Four StrikeMaster launchers deliver the same precision strike power as a Hobart-class destroyer – at a fraction of the crew, cost, and with greater battlefield persistence.
The full special supplement on the StrikeMaster NSM CDS, published by Defence Technology Review, is available here.
