KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Malaysia’s Defence Ministry ‌said it will discuss with Norway a ​shift in Oslo’s position regarding defence export approvals that has halted the supply of missiles intended for its ‌naval combat ships, in the latest blow to the project.

In a ​statement on Thursday, Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin confirmed that the ministry holds a procurement contract with Norwegian defence firm Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS for the supply of ​Naval Strike Missile (NSM) guided missiles which are used to equip the country’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS told Reuters export licensing decisions are handled by the Norwegian authorities and that it fully complies with all applicable regulations, adding that it remains ‌committed to its long-term partnerships and activities in the region.

The Norwegian ⁠Embassy in Kuala Lumpur directed queries ⁠to its Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Malaysia’s LCS project, awarded ⁠in 2011 for six ⁠vessels at an initial ⁠cost of RM6 billion, has been dogged by serious mismanagement problems where the cost of it has ballooned over the years while ⁠the ships remained undelivered.

The project was relaunched in 2023 following a government review, with the decision made to acquire only five ships instead of six. The first vessel, which was originally scheduled for delivery in August this year, was pushed back to December due to late ⁠equipment deliveries from manufacturers and ongoing rework issues.

The statement came in response to a report on a Malaysian defence news portal ⁠that Norway had banned the deliveries of the missiles to Malaysia just days ⁠before ⁠the scheduled date.

“The Ministry takes note of the change in the Norwegian government’s ​position regarding defence export approvals, which has ​affected the implementation of the said ‌contract,” Mohamed Khaled said.

Mohamed Khaled added that ​they will seek further clarification and ​discuss appropriate steps to safeguard the nation’s interests. — Reuters