Since the onset of Russia’s invasion back in February 2022, the U.S. and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have provided billions of dollars worth of humanitarian aid, training, military equipment, and munitions to aid Kyiv’s Defensive efforts.
In the upcoming months, a couple of dozen American-made M1 Abrams are set to arrive in Ukraine to be used alongside British Challengers and German Leopard 2s on the battlefield.
Kyiv recently ignited its long-awaited counter-offensive to recapture territories, making the deliveries of these more advanced Western weapons more significant.
Ukraine may also be receiving another powerful Norwegian-made weapon to support its efforts. According to a report on the Defnese24.pl website, Kyiv may be considered to receive the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile from Poland’s stockpile.
An Overview of the Naval Strike Missile
Two fully equipped Coastal Missile Squadrons exist as part of the Polish Army, both containing two batteries. Three launchers are able to accommodate up to four missiles and command and fire control vehicles for operational support are included in each battery. The anti-ship and land-attack missile was developed by the Norwegian-based company Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace in partnership with Raytheon in 2012. Poland was the first operator of the coastal defense variant of the NSM system. Over time, the U.S. Marine Corps, Romania, and Latvia all procured this variant, in addition to Norway and the U.S. Navy.
Perhaps the NSM’s greatest attribute is that it can evade radar while flying at low altitudes and at fast speeds over water or the ground. Equipped with a stealth design, the NSM enables the anti-ship missile to penetrate into shipboard defenses, according to Naval Technology.
The NSM can be used in littoral and open sea environments. “The missile has a length of 3.96m. It can carry a 125kg HE fragmentation warhead for a maximum range of more than 185km. The launch weight of the missile is 407kg. The NSM-based Coastal Defence System (CDS) includes a fire distribution centre (FDC), sea surveillance and tracking radar and an NSM launcher fire unit.”
Additionally, the NSM is fitted with GPS-aided mid-course guidance and a dual-band imaging infrared seeker, ensuring accurate targeting of both sea and land-based targets.
NSMs for Ukraine?
If Poland does deliver the Naval Strike Missile to Kyiv, the stealthy weapon would provide versatile long-range capabilities for Ukrainian forces. The recently circulated report indicates that the transfer could be secured by European Union funds, which would support Poland’s transfer. While the U.S. had remained pretty fervent that it would not provide long-range weapons to Kyiv earlier in the war, the Biden administration appears to be shifting gears. Since longer-range weapons would allow Kyiv to strike deep into Russian territory, the White House has avoided delivering this grade of weapons to the war-torn country.
However, U.S. lawmakers have recently pushed the Biden administration to rethink this stance in light of Kyiv’s ongoing counter-offensive. Earlier this month, President Biden signaled that he may consider delivering the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine, after months of requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The addition of NSMs to Ukraine’s arsenal would unquestionably improve its long-range strike abilities.
Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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