Australia, Norway to Jointly Work on Improvement of F-35's Missiles

Norway and Australia will cooperate on the modernization of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) - weapon that is planned to be used with Norway's F-35 fighter jet - making it possible hitting targets from a distance of 300-kilometers.

Australia's largest defense contractor BAE Systems Australia will take on the task of upgrading the RF-seeking capabilities of the F-35's anti-ship missile, which was originally designed by Norway-based Kongsberg Defense Systems.

Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, defense minister of Norway, pointed out that the deal is the prime instance of cooperation "where two nations, each bringing their own specialties and skills to the table, are able to build a better system by working together compared to what they could have done on their own."

Norway's Defense Ministry issued a statement reading that the goal of the project is to equip existing missiles with the capability to pinpoint and track radio emissions of hostile vessels and then eliminate them from long distances, Defense News reported.

Currently, the missiles use infrared imaging and are capable of detecting ships based on their heat signature.

Two countries will also share expenses if Australia completes its part of the deal. The initial agreement between the two states was inked on September, 15.