{"id":15205854,"date":"2026-07-11T20:25:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T00:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/canada-inks-564-million-joint-strike-missile-deal-with-kongsberg\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T22:33:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T02:33:24","slug":"canada-inks-564-million-joint-strike-missile-deal-with-kongsberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/canada-inks-564-million-joint-strike-missile-deal-with-kongsberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada Inks $564 Million Joint Strike Missile Deal with Kongsberg"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"259\" src=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Canada-Joint-Strike-Missile-1b-460x259.jpg\" class=\"webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image\" alt=\"Canada Joint Strike Missile\" style=\"display: block;margin-bottom: 5px;clear:both;max-width: 100%\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>The Joint Strike Missile will equip Canada\u2019s F-35 fleet, giving it the ability to carry internally stand-off weapons.<\/h2>\n<p>Canada has chosen Kongsberg\u2019s Joint Strike Missile (JSM) as its new air-to-surface standoff weapon. The $564 million award, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kongsberg.com\/news\/news-archive\/2026\/canada-becomes-sixth-nation-to-select-joint-strike-missile\/\">Jul. 8, 2026 press release<\/a> from the Norwegian company, makes Canada the sixth operator of the weapon, following <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2025\/04\/28\/jsm-for-norways-f-35s-ready\/\">Norway<\/a>, Japan, Australia, the U.S., and Germany.<\/p>\n<p>Kongsberg said the integration of the JSM into \u201cCanada\u2019s next-generation fighter will provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with a critical operational advantage.\u201d The company has also laid out a broader local defense industrial investment within Canada in line with its Industrial and Technology Benefits (ITB) Policy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKONGSBERG today also announced investments in Canada, through the country&#8217;s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy\u201d, said the press release. \u201cThese are aimed at creating long-term industrial capacity by stimulating job creation, the development of dual-use technologies and strengthening the defence industry through collaboration between industry and academia.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Canada?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Canada<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Norway?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Norway<\/a> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f1e8-1f1e6.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f1f3-1f1f4.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf4\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/>:<\/p>\n<p>Canada and Norway&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KOGDefence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@KOGDefence<\/a> have announced a NOK 4.7 billion contract for the delivery of JSM (Joint Strike Missile) cruise missiles, making the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) the sixth operator of the air-launched missiles.<\/p>\n<p>Full article:\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/X3Tb3IXzYQ\">pic.twitter.com\/X3Tb3IXzYQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \ud835\udd7b\ud835\udd97\ud835\udd86\ud835\udd8e\ud835\udd98\ud835\udd8a \ud835\udd7f\ud835\udd8d\ud835\udd8a \ud835\udd7e\ud835\udd99\ud835\udd8a\ud835\udd95\ud835\udd8d (@praisethesteph) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/praisethesteph\/status\/2075533319341539419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Kongsberg\u2019s CEO Erik Lie said the company is \u201cpleased to welcome Canada as the sixth country to select the JSM. The acquisition of the Joint Strike Missile can fundamentally improve the operational range and effectiveness of Canada&#8217;s fighter fleet. In addition to delivering world-class defence technology, KONGSBERG is committed to contributing to industrial growth in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a weight of 416 kg and a length of four meters, the JSM flies at high-subsonic speeds, and has a range in excess of 350 km (189 nautical miles). The weapon is equipped with a highly accurate navigation system that allows a low altitude flight profile.<\/p>\n<p>Kongsberg further says the JSM uses an advanced mission planning system to exploit sea and land geography. Automatic Target recognition is supported by an advanced Imaging infrared seeker.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f1e8-1f1e6.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> Canada has awarded a contract to the Norwegian company Kongsberg for the procurement of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) air-launched cruise missile worth 420 million \u20ac. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/luH8X3F9V8\">https:\/\/t.co\/luH8X3F9V8<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CSL9SRlcHv\">pic.twitter.com\/CSL9SRlcHv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jeff2146<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f1e7-1f1ea.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> (@Jeff21461) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jeff21461\/status\/2075125855827771557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Canada and U.S.-made F-35<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The JSM, an air-to-ground derivative of Kongsberg\u2019s anti-ship Naval Strike Missile (NSM), is the only air-launched weapon in its class that can be carried internally by the F-35. The U.S.-made JASSM and LRASM can only be carried externally, since they are too large for the Lightning II\u2019s internal weapons bays.<\/p>\n<p>However, a major <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2025\/03\/15\/canada-reconsidering-f-35\/\">diplomatic fallout<\/a> between Ottawa and Washington put a cloud over the fighter jet\u2019s buy. PM Mark Carney\u2019s government has been <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2025\/10\/09\/canada-will-get-16-paid-for-f-35s\/\">considering buying only 16 jets<\/a> it has paid for and not the full fleet of 88.<\/p>\n<p>Canada in 2023 inked a 19-billion Canadian dollar (USD13 billion) deal to buy 88 F-35As, with deliveries beginning in 2026 and the fleet expected to achieve full operational capability by 2034. Voices in Canada\u2019s defense and strategic community have advised that a small F-35 fleet would be logistically and tactically even more unsound, while a certain section has pressed for leaving the program altogether.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">F-35A + Joint Strike Missile (JSM) = Maritime dominance for <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Norway?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Norway<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Japan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Japan<\/a> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f609.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude09\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> The long-range JSM, is the only 5th-generation cruise missile designed to be launched from the internal weapons bay of an F-35. It was successfully tested last February. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/avgeeks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#avgeeks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/aviation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#aviation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/news?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#news<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VN3zzfVOv3\">pic.twitter.com\/VN3zzfVOv3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Air Power (@RealAirPower1) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RealAirPower1\/status\/1603669132444143616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 16, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It must be noted that Canada has still not made a final decision on the F-35. As we have seen with other allies having an on-again-off-again relationship with the U.S, Canada might just continue a defense commercial relationship with Washington within a cooperative military alliance, while still diverging on key foreign policy issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Other recent non-U.S. defense buys<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>At the same time, Carney has <a href=\"https:\/\/thehub.ca\/2026\/06\/03\/canadas-gripen-gamble-90-percent-of-defence-contracts-will-stay-in-the-broken-system-this-reported-decision-makes-worse\/\">seriously indicated<\/a> &#8211; while remaining non-committal overall &#8211; an interest in the Saab Gripen. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saab.com\/markets\/canada\/gripen-for-canada\">push<\/a> has also come from the Swedish defense major itself, which has characteristically promised significant local industrial and employment benefits. A major indicator was the Gripen participating in May\u2019s CANSEC 2026 exhibition, and the ruling Liberal Party\u2019s MP Sima Acan entering its cockpit.<\/p>\n<p>However, Carney has definitively decided on other major capital weapons. These include <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2026\/05\/28\/canada-begins-talks-with-saab-for-globaleye\/\">Saab\u2019s GlobalEye AEW&amp;C<\/a> aircraft &#8211; also based on the Canadian Bombardier Global 6500 &#8211; which was selected over the Boeing <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2026\/05\/22\/e-7-wedgetail-arrives-at-raf-lossiemouth\/\">E-7A Wedgetail<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOttawa plans to spend over $5 billion on a fleet of six aircraft. By choosing the Saab\/Bombardier offer, the Carney government hopes to make Canada a hub for the Swedish manufacturer\u2019s \u2018airborne radars\u2019 by building approximately forty surveillance aircraft on Canadian soil, which could then be sold to NATO member countries,\u201d <em>La Presse<\/em> reported. NATO itself recently <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2026\/07\/07\/nato-selects-saab-globaleye\/\">selected the GlobalEye<\/a> to replace the older E-3 AWACS fleet.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A record crowd of 21,300 registered for the annual military trade show Cansec, where Mark Carney announced billions in new spending and attendees could sit in a Gripen fighter. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zZtbNjjuAw\">https:\/\/t.co\/zZtbNjjuAw<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PqeeCZn40c\">pic.twitter.com\/PqeeCZn40c<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Logic (@the_logic) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/the_logic\/status\/2060469995004367162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lastly, Canada will also soon acquire nine (four new and five used) Airbus A330-200 aerial refuellers, designated as the CC-330 Husky, to replace the current CC-150 Polaris. Acquired under the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability effort, the first of CC-330 Husky completed its first test flight in Spain on <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NationalDefence\/status\/2074161884303958312\">Jul. 2, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Milestone reached for the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability. <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/2705.png\" alt=\"\u2705\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On July 2, the first CC-330 Husky completed its first test flight in Spain, allowing teams to assess design, performance, and safety. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V2kvjM9jkj\">https:\/\/t.co\/V2kvjM9jkj<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LRNoJuRwh7\">pic.twitter.com\/LRNoJuRwh7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 National Defence (@NationalDefence) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NationalDefence\/status\/2074161884303958312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The JSM therefore comes close on the heels of Canada\u2019s newfound defense strategic relationship with non-U.S. regions like Europe. A Saab Gripen acquisition is also unlikely to see any integration issues with the JSM, given both platforms\u2019 European origins.<\/p>\n<p>However, it remains to be seen if the Royal Canadian Air Force\u2019s (RCAF) 70-75 CF-188A\/B+ jets will carry the JSM, given diplomatic clearance and technical approval from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Boeing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"inmi-source\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2026\/07\/11\/canada-joint-strike-missile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Travel \u2013 theaviationist<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Joint Strike Missile will equip Canada\u2019s F-35 fleet, giving it the ability to carry internally stand-off weapons. Canada has chosen Kongsberg\u2019s Joint Strike Missile (JSM) as its new air-to-surface standoff weapon. The $564 million award, according to a Jul.\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15205856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[199],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15205854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b.jpg",2000,1125,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-620x349.jpg",620,349,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-940x529.jpg",940,529,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-1536x864.jpg",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b.jpg",2000,1125,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-998x665.jpg",998,665,true],"ignition_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-670x446.jpg",670,446,true],"ignition_item_lg":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-1340x894.jpg",1340,894,true],"ignition_article_media":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-510x510.jpg",510,510,true],"ignition_minicart_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-160x160.jpg",160,160,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-24x24.jpg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-48x48.jpg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/15205854-canada-joint-strike-missile-1b-300x300.jpg",300,300,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"news.iNthacity","author_link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/author\/atombo\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/articles\/travel\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Travel<\/a>","tag_info":"Travel","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15205854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15205854"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15205854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15205855,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15205854\/revisions\/15205855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15205856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15205854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15205854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15205854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}