Royal Navy Test Fires New Ship-Busting Missile For the First Time
The Royal Navy’s HMS Somerset has completed the first test firing of a new 400kg naval strike missile (NSM) at the Norwegian Artic rocket range in Andøya, during Exercise Aegir 25 alongside Norwegian and Polish Allies.
The NSM can be fired against warships or land based targets at a range of up to 100 miles, and is a much more capable improvement over similar systems such as the Harpoon, which is used on Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers. The Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard commented on the missile:
‘The NSM is one of the most advanced missiles in our naval arsenal. It will give the Royal Navy and our allies an edge against our enemies. This milestone, achieved through our exemplary international partnership with Norway, significantly enhances our maritime deterrent and underscores the Government’s dedication to investing in the technologies that will maintain Britain’s secure.’
Commanding Officer Matt Millyard of HMS Somerset also remarked on the test firing:
‘I am very proud of the team following the successful first of class firing of the Naval Strike Missile. This is not something that comes together easily and has involved an incredible amount of work by the crew and staff from across the defence enterprise. The professionalism and teamwork demonstrated by all throughout the planning and execution has been exemplary.’
The NSM is developed by Norwegian defence company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace and has been in service under various iterations since 2012. It is currently in service with the American, Norwegian, Australian and Polish aavies.
HMS Somerset is a Type 23 frigate that has been in Royal Naval service since 1994, with work to install NSM on the ship being carried out in early 2023. In January 2025 she was deployed to monitor the Russian reconnaissance ship Yantar, shadowing it passing through British waters in the North Sea.