The Royal New Zealand Navy has fired a rare Norwegian AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missile for the first time.

This was reported by Naval News.

The firing was carried out by an SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite helicopter from the air group of the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha (F77).

The launch was carried out during the crew’s training for missions in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Combined Task Force 150.

It is known that in 2013, New Zealand ordered an unknown number of AGM-119 Mk 2 Mod 7s anti-ship missiles from Kongsberg to replace the aging AGM-65F Maverick missiles.

While deliveries likely took place in the years following the announcement, the recent firing is the first time New Zealand has used one of the AGM-119 Penguin missiles.

AGM-119 Penguin

The AGM-119 Penguin is a short- to medium-range anti-ship missile developed and manufactured by the Norwegian company Kongsberg.

Development of the missile began in the early 1960s in cooperation with financial support from the United States and West Germany. To speed up the development process, the US Navy provided test sites and technical assistance.

The Penguin was the first NATO anti-ship missile with an infrared guidance system, as opposed to the common active radar homing warheads. Since 1972, when serial production began, its hardware and software have been repeatedly modernized.

The first carriers were Snøgg and Storm-class patrol boats of the Norwegian Navy. The first air deployment took place on F-104G fighters of the Norwegian Air Force, where the missiles were mounted on standard Bullpup missile guides.

Ukrainian F-16s, transferred from the Norwegian arsenal, can also be used as missile carriers.

Modern versions of the Penguin are equipped with a solid rocket engine and can perform evasive maneuvers while approaching the target, striking near the waterline.

They can also perform a final descent maneuver before impact. The 120 kg warhead, which is based on the design of the US AGM-12 Bullpup missile, is detonated inside the target ship using a delayed fuze.

As of today, Kongsberg is producing new missiles using limited stocks of spare parts from its warehouses.

The missiles are in service with the navies of Turkey, Brazil, Greece, Spain, and New Zealand.