Beyond the horizon: NSM homes in on Harpoon replacement market

摘要

Foreign companies striving to break into the US defence market - and particularly the guided weapons sector - recognise that success is difficult to achieve given the lobbying power of US industry incumbents and the naturally protectionist instincts of Congress. Moreover, it is a market where there is no such thing as an overnight success: it typically takes many years, if not decades, to establish a presence, build partnerships, shape the market, and craft a strategy for business capture.However, success is nonetheless attainable. In the 1980s, Norway's Kongsberg Vapenfab-rikk sold its Penguin Mk 2 Mod 7 anti-ship missile to the US Navy (USN) to equip the service's SH-60B LAMPS Ⅲ helicopter. While final missile offtake was smaller than expected, Penguin's sale to the USN, and its integration with the SH-60B platform, provided a significant boost to the company's subsequent efforts to sell the helicopter-launched Mk 2 Mod 7 missile worldwide.