Germany has approved the purchase of Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile (JSM) to equip its future F-35A stealth fighters.
The acquisition—structured as a government-to-government deal between Norway and Germany—is valued at approximately €563 million ($643 million).
Norway’s Defence Material Agency (NDMA) will act as the contracting authority under existing bilateral defense cooperation frameworks.
Kongsberg says the Joint Strike Missile offers advanced capabilities for low-observable aircraft like the F-35. Designed for internal carriage, the missile preserves the F-35’s low radar cross section (RCS), a critical advantage in contested airspace. The stealth profile is compromised when weapons are mounted externally due to exposed edges that reflect radar energy, making aircraft more visible to air defense systems.
Germany’s F-35A aircraft are scheduled to be delivered beginning in 2026. Once fielded, the Luftwaffe will join the United States, Norway, Japan, and Australia as operational users of the JSM. Italy is also reportedly considering the missile for its own F-35 fleet, while other nations are pursuing alternatives like the JASSM-ER and Spear 3.
The Joint Strike Missile, developed by Norway’s Kongsberg in partnership with Raytheon, offers precision strike capability at stand-off range, allowing aircraft to engage defended targets without crossing into high-threat zones. According to the company, this capacity is “essential for missions that require survivability and deep penetration.”
Germany is acquiring 35 F-35As to replace its aging Tornado fleet. The aircraft are expected to fulfill both conventional and nuclear roles, including deployment of the U.S.-supplied B61-12 gravity bomb under NATO’s nuclear sharing policy.
The German F-35 procurement was previously cleared by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency and includes 75 JASSM-ER cruise missiles, 105 AIM-120C-8 air-to-air missiles, and various precision-guided munitions.
