KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Turkiye has been selected as the preferred country to supply an alternative to Norway’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the decision was made after the government evaluated proposals from several countries, including Turkiye, France and Italy, based on price, delivery timelines and upfront costs.

“We have conducted an evaluation and have now reached the stage of determining that Turkiye is the best country from which to obtain an alternative to our missile.

“We will engage with the Turkish side for further negotiations so that we can finalise the matter,” he told reporters after the Defence Ministry’s 2026 Innovation Day celebration at the Mindef Auditorium today.

He said the government had also received assurances on the missile’s compatibility and integration with the ships’ systems, which would be further examined during negotiations with the Turkish company.

Mohamed Khaled said the missile from Turkiye was of the same type as that already ordered for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project, allowing supplies to be obtained earlier, as early as 2028.

He said the surface-to-surface missile had an operational range of 240 kilometres, with comparable explosive power and greater effectiveness than competing missiles.

In terms of cost, he said Malaysia would not have to bear the full cost of procuring new missiles, as part of the expense had already been absorbed under the LCS contract. Instead, the government would likely only need to cover the cost of installing the launchers and integrating the systems.

“If we did not have the LCS, we would have to order new missiles, which could cost RM700 million, RM800 million or RM900 million. Now, we do not need to spend that amount to replace the NSM,” he said.

On the procurement of the NSM from Norway, Mohamed Khaled said the project had stalled because the Norwegian government had not issued the required licence, meaning Malaysia would not receive the missiles despite having made payment for the procurement.

He said the government was now prepared to take legal action through arbitration, but was bound by several stages of dispute resolution stipulated in the contract, after initial negotiations reached a deadlock.

“We are therefore moving to the second stage, which is to establish a Dispute Resolution Committee between the two parties. If that process fails, Malaysia will proceed to arbitration, which can be held in Kuala Lumpur under the NSM procurement contract,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia was not waiting for the process to be concluded before seeking a replacement for the NSM, to ensure that the country’s defence needs continued to be addressed while the process with Norway was ongoing. — Bernama