Ukraine Unexpectedly Reveals Secret Norwegian NSM Anti-Ship Missiles in Service

Ukraine has publicly revealed that its Navy operates the Norwegian-made Naval Strike Missile (NSM) coastal defense system, marking the first official visual confirmation of the weapon in Ukrainian service.

The previously undisclosed system appeared in photos and video released by the Office of the President during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Odesa region on July 4, where he met with the leadership of Ukraine’s Navy.

The images published by the Presidential Office show a mobile launcher for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), a Norwegian-developed anti-ship missile manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. While reports about a possible transfer of the system had circulated previously, Ukrainian authorities had never officially confirmed that the weapon had entered service.

According to Ukrainian defense outlets Militarnyi and Defense Express on July 4, the appearance of the launcher is the first public evidence that Ukraine fields the NSM coastal defense system.

The launcher shown in the official footage differs from the Polish NSM Coastal Defence System. Rather than using the Jelcz truck chassis employed by Poland, the Ukrainian version appears to be mounted on a truck fitted with a multilift hook-loading system and features a plain green paint scheme instead of camouflage. The exact origin of Ukraine’s NSM system remains undisclosed.

Developed by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, the Naval Strike Missile is a subsonic precision-guided cruise missile capable of striking both naval and land targets.

It has a range exceeding 180 kilometers, carries a 120-kilogram penetrating high-explosive warhead, and navigates using an inertial guidance system with GPS updates. In its terminal phase, the missile relies on an imaging infrared seeker that can identify and select specific target types.

Although reports about a possible transfer of NSM missiles surfaced as early as 2022, neither Ukraine nor its international partners had officially confirmed their delivery. The footage released during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Odesa region marks the first official confirmation that the Norwegian-made coastal missile system is in service with the Ukrainian Navy.

During President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Odesa region on July 4, the Ukrainian Navy also publicly revealed its US-supplied Harpoon coastal defense missile system for the first time since receiving it in 2022.

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