Leidos Australia and Kongsberg Defence Australia have initiated a partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that focuses on the potential integration of Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) with Leidos’ advanced uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), specifically the Sea Archer and the larger Longbow variant.
The collaboration aims to enhance maritime strike capabilities by integrating the NSM with these state-of-the-art USVs. This integration is expected to improve the range, responsiveness, and operational flexibility of maritime strike missions significantly.
The NSM is a highly advanced sea-skimming, precision-guided cruise missile that features autonomous target recognition and sophisticated terminal-phase maneuver capabilities designed to overcome modern air-defense systems. This missile boasts the ability to strike targets at distances exceeding 300 kilometers (approximately 186 miles), making it a formidable asset in naval operations.
In parallel, the Sea Archer, which is currently under development in Australia, is designed as a high-speed, long-range uncrewed surface vessel. It employs a modular architecture that allows for quick reconfiguration to perform various roles including strike missions, electronic warfare, logistics support, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The vessel is powered by Leidos’ proprietary autonomy software and AI-driven battle-management systems, allowing it to achieve impressive speeds of up to 40 knots (74 kilometers or 46 miles per hour). It also has an operational range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,778 kilometers or 1,726 miles) and can carry payloads exceeding 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds).
The Longbow USV variant takes capabilities a step further by accommodating a payload capacity of 3,000 kilograms (6,614 pounds) and is driven by four 300-horsepower OXE marine diesel engines, which provide an operational range of more than 2,750 nautical miles (5,093 kilometers or 3,165 miles).
Paul Chase, the chief executive of Leidos Australia, remarked on the significance of this MoU, highlighting it as a crucial advancement towards developing a mission-ready, sovereign maritime strike capability for Australia. He emphasized that the combination of the proven effectiveness of the NSM with the versatility and endurance of the Sea Archer and Longbow vessels presents Defence with a robust, adaptable, and locally supported solution to meet future operational requirements.
