The United States has denied involvement in Norway’s decision to revoke export approval for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system ordered by Malaysia under a 2018 defence contract.
The clarification came after speculation that US-made components inside the Norwegian-produced missile system may have triggered American export restrictions. According to reports, the NSM contains advanced US guidance gyroscopes, leading to accusations that Washington may have pressured Norway to block the delivery.
US embassy chargé d’affaires David H Gamble Jr rejected the claims and said the United States supported Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen its maritime defence capabilities. He added that the US had helped facilitate the integration of restricted guidance components for the missile system in 2024 to support delivery to Malaysia.
The missile system was produced by Norwegian defence company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace as part of Malaysia’s Littoral Combat Ship programme. The missiles were reportedly scheduled for delivery earlier this year before Malaysian authorities were informed about delays.
The dispute has become a growing diplomatic issue between Malaysia and Norway. Norway recently announced tighter defence export rules limiting sensitive military exports to “allies and closest partners,” leading Oslo to revoke the export permit for the NSM system.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticised the decision and said Malaysia had honoured all obligations under the agreement since 2018. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia is seeking more than 250 million USD in compensation from Kongsberg for direct and indirect losses linked to the cancellation.
According to Malaysian authorities, the country has already paid 95 per cent of the missile deal. Additional costs reportedly include removing installed missile mounting systems and integrating replacement systems from alternative suppliers.
