Malaysia’s armed forces expect it could take two to three years to replace the Norwegian missile system originally intended for the country’s navy following the cancellation of the deal with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reports.
Armed forces chief Malek Razak Sulaiman said four countries had been shortlisted as potential suppliers, but that the procurement process had yet to begin.
“We have to look at everything again, and it also depends on the budget,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Norway revoked export licence in May
The replacement became necessary after Norway revoked the export licence for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system in May, saying exports of its defence technology would be limited to NATO allies and close partners.
The missiles had been intended for Malaysia’s six littoral combat ships under a contract signed with Norwegian defence company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in 2018.
Malaysia is seeking more than RM1 billion (US$236 million) in compensation from Kongsberg over the cancelled deal, including costs related to removing existing missile infrastructure and integrating a replacement system.
