In a move signalling a major shift towards autonomous naval warfare, Leidos Australia and Kongsberg Defence Australia have announced a strategic partnership. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly investigate arming advanced uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) with one of the world’s premier anti-ship missiles.
The collaboration will focus on integrating Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) onto Leidos’s next-generation USV platforms, the Sea Archer and its larger derivative, the Longbow. This initiative seeks to merge long-range precision strike power with the persistent, attritable, and flexible nature of unmanned systems.
Kongsberg’s NSM is a fifth-generation, over-the-horizon cruise missile renowned for its stealthy sea-skimming flight profile and advanced seeker capable of autonomous target recognition. With a published range exceeding 300 kilometres, it is designed to penetrate sophisticated modern air defences. Pairing this weapon with unmanned platforms could fundamentally alter maritime tactics, enabling distributed lethality and complicating an adversary’s targeting picture.
The recipient platforms are currently under development in Australia. The Sea Archer is a high-speed (up to 40 knots), long-endurance (1,500 nautical miles) USV designed for modular payloads. Its larger sibling, the Longbow, significantly expands this capability with a range over 2,750 nautical miles and a substantial payload capacity of 3,000 kilograms, powered by four OXE diesel engines. Both vessels are built around Leidos’s advanced autonomy and AI-driven mission management systems.
Paul Chase, Chief Executive of Leidos Australia, stated the partnership is “a significant step forward in exploring a mission-ready, sovereign maritime strike capability for Australia.” He emphasised the combination offers Defence “a potent, adaptable and locally supported solution for future operational needs.”
Currently in the proof-of-concept phase, the work will explore the technical and operational integration of the missile system with the USVs. Further development and trials of integrated payload capabilities are planned in both the United States and Australia through 2026. The partnership underscores a growing global trend of deploying high-end strike capabilities on unmanned platforms, offering a force-multiplying effect for naval operations.
