Canada Orders Kongsberg Joint Strike Missiles for Its Future F-35 Fleet

Canada has signed a contract worth about CA$800 million (US$564 million) with Norway's Kongsberg for Joint Strike Missiles to arm its incoming F-35A fighters, becoming the sixth nation to select the stealthy cruise missile.

Canada has awarded Norway's Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace a contract worth approximately CA$800 million (US$564 million) for Joint Strike Missiles (JSM) to equip its future fleet of F-35A Lightning II fighters. Kongsberg announced the contract on June 30, and Prime Minister Mark Carney formally unveiled the acquisition during the NATO summit in Ankara in early July.

The order makes Canada the sixth nation to select the weapon, after Norway, Japan, Australia, the United States and Germany. "The acquisition could fundamentally improve the operational range and effectiveness of Canada's fighter fleet," Kongsberg chief executive Erik Lie said in a statement. Under Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, the company has also committed to investments in Canadian industry and research.

The JSM is a stealthy, high-subsonic cruise missile derived from Kongsberg's ship-launched Naval Strike Missile. Around four meters long and weighing 416 kg, it flies low-altitude, terrain-following profiles over a range in excess of 350 km, and combines an imaging infrared seeker with automatic target recognition to engage warships and high-value land targets. It is the only air-launched weapon in its class that fits inside the F-35's internal weapons bays, allowing the fighter to carry it without compromising its radar signature.

Canada ordered 88 F-35As in 2023 in a deal valued at CA$19 billion, with first deliveries beginning in 2026 and full operational capability targeted for 2034. The jets will replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's roughly 90 aging CF-18 Hornets, which remain the backbone of Canada's fighter force. The missile purchase comes as the F-35 program has been under scrutiny in Ottawa, where the government earlier reviewed whether to cap the buy at the first 16 aircraft already paid for, according to The Aviationist.

Deliveries of the missiles and their integration timeline have not been detailed. The JSM is already being fielded on the F-35A by Norway, whose air force declared it operational, and Japan has selected it for its own Lightning II fleet.