The first airborne installations were on F-104Gs of the Norwegian Air Force, the missiles being fitted to standard Bullpup rails on the two underwing hardpoints.

The 120-kilogram (260 lb) warhead (originally based on that of the AGM-12 Bullpup, built under license by Kongsberg) detonates inside the target ship by using a delay fuze.

The MK3, when launched from high altitudes, can initially act as a glidebomb, only firing its rocket engine to extend range, or ideally to achieve maximum speed before hitting the target; for better penetration.

NSM features an imaging IR-seeker, GPS navigation, a turbojet sustainer engine (for much longer ranges, 185 kilometres [115 mi] or more), and significantly more computer performance and digital signal processing power.

[citation needed] Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) stated in November 2022 that Penguin Mk 2 mod 7 was in service in Brazil, Greece, New Zealand, Spain and Turkey and had been phased out by the US Navy.