Wouldn’t this be just as vulnerable to point defenses as any older Harpoon?
I was in some early meetings at Kongsberg when this missile was still being initially planned out and the NSM stood for "New Surface Missile". Raytheon wasn't, to my knowledge, involved at that point.
What I remember more than anything is that Kongsberg HQ is at the bottom of a large hill and when it was time to leave the Norwegian Navy decided to take public transport home and the last bus was coming so they said "Quick! We must run! We'll barely make it!" and we ran from the bottom of that hill to the top and then a quarter mile (give or take) to the bus stop.
Once we got there, out of breath and sweating, I learned two things. First, it wasn't the last bus, there's one every 15 minutes or so. And second, Norwegian naval officers can be real dicks! :-)
“Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for the Lockheed F-35 Lightening II”
Just to be a picky jerk, it’s worth pointing out that the F-35 is designated the Lightning II. Like lightning from the sky. Not part of a “lightening” campaign.
Thanks. I’ll be here all week.