The first installation of the Raytheon [RTN] – Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) as the Over-the-Horizon (OTH) missile will be on an Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) starting in fiscal year 2020, a Navy spokesperson told Defense Daily.

Following installation, initial operating capability (IOC) for the OTH is planned for FY ’21.

The Navy's test of the NSM on a Littoral Combat Ship last year. Photo: US Navy
The Navy’s test of the NSM on a Littoral Combat Ship last year. Photo: US Navy

The spokesperson said this initial award covers five OTH weapon system (WS) shipsets while all LCSs and the eventual FFG(X) future frigate are planned to receive the OTH-WS.

On Thursday, the Navy awarded Raytheon the long-expected contract for its OTH bid, valued at $15 million (Defense Daily, May 31).

The original request for proposals (RFP) ran until June last year. Initially, Raytheon was joined by Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] as competitors. Boeing intended to offer its Harpoon Block II Extended Range (ER) while Lockheed Martin was pitching its surface-launched variant of its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).

However, both companies were uncomfortable with modifications to the initial RFP, arguing changing requirements undervalued their bids (Defense Daily, June 23, 2017).

In the Navy’s last February FY ’19 budget request, the service planned to spend $18 million for the first eight OTH missiles in FY ’19 and procure a total of 64 missiles through FY 23 at a cost of about $2.2 million per missile (Defense Daily, Feb. 15).