No enemy safe within 100 miles as Royal Navy successfully fires new missile

HMS Somerset has carried out the first firing of a new missile that is capable of taking out enemy targets on land or sea at ranges of more than 100 miles.

The Plymouth-based Type 23 frigate headed to Norway's rocket range in Andøya, inside the Arctic Circle, to launch the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during Exercise Aegir 25 alongside her Norwegian and Polish allies.

The NSM can be used against warships or land targets and succeeds the old Harpoon system on Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers.

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The successful firing was the culmination of months of dedicated work, which involved meticulous planning and thorough tuning of the system, including alignment and sea acceptance trials.

Staff from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, which manufactures the NSM, were on board HMS Somerset to support the firing.

The NSM, which is also in service with the Norwegian, Australian, Netherlands, US and Polish navies, travels close to supersonic speeds and avoids detection by skimming over the sea.

It will be a complementary weapon for the Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon, which will become the Navy's premier long-range, heavy duty anti-ship missile.

This will be carried by the Royal Navy's next-generation warships fitted with the Mk41 vertical launch system, including the new Type 26 and 31 frigates.

Defence Readiness Minister Luke Pollard said: "The NSM is one of the most advanced missiles in our naval arsenal. It will give the Royal Navy and our allies an edge against our enemies.

"This milestone, achieved through our exemplary international partnership with Norway, significantly enhances our maritime deterrent."

The US-designed Harpoon missile has been in service since 1977, has been used in action and can also be air-launched.

But despite frequent upgrades and enhancements to keep pace with developments in technology, it can no longer meet the demands of mid-21st century naval warfare.

NSM is currently fitted to HMS Richmond and HMS Portland, as well as HMS Somerset.

UK defence firms Babcock and BAE Systems will install NSM on a total of 11 Royal Navy warships.

Norwegian-led Exercise Aegir 25 saw the allies conduct firings from land-based launch systems as well as by sea.

One of the forces taking part was Norway's Coastal Ranger Command, a specialised unit within the Royal Norwegian Navy that operates in littoral combat environments.