A joint strike missile for anti-surface warfare use is to be jointly developed by Raytheon and the Kongsberg Gruppen of Norway.

The missile project for the Royal Norwegian Air Force has already been funded and coincides with the U.S. Navy's consideration of a cost-effective next-generation Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare system, or OASuW.

"The U.S. and its allies gain new and innovative options in the OASuW arena through this agreement," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "Raytheon's global development capability allows us to identify and offer the advanced and affordable solutions our customers require for the complex missions of the future."

Neither Raytheon nor Kongsberg provided additional detail of their teaming agreement but noted that the companies have worked together in the past in the area of air defense systems and others.

"Our companies have worked together for decades on several projects and are ideally positioned to bring the joint strike missile to customers worldwide," said Harald Ånnestad, Kongsberg Defense Systems president. "OASuW is a market where we can effectively team to deliver products that address the key requirements of the warfighter."