KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Malaysia is waiting for Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) to respond to its demands after the company cancelled the export licence for Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) to Malaysia, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today.
“If there is any response from them, I need to consult with the government for further considerations and decisions,” he told reporters after launching the National Day celebration at the Defence Ministry here today.
“But, we are also working hard so that the ammunitions for our littoral combat ships (LCS) can be transported safely,” he added.
Malaysia had initially procured the NSM anti-ship missiles from KDA, but the delivery was abruptly cancelled this year despite Malaysia having settled almost 95 per cent of the contract value.
Malaysia has since suspended all new defence procurements from Norway.
In July, Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Malek Razak Sulaiman said Malaysia would require at least two more years to acquire a replacement surface-to-surface missile system for the LCS.
France, Italy, Turkey and South Korea have been shortlisted as potential suppliers for the replacement missile system.
