Malaysia pushes to introduce alternative system after cancellation of missile export to Norway

(Jakarta = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hyun-gyu Son = As the existing supply contract was canceled when the Norwegian government canceled the missile export license to Malaysia last April, Malaysia is pursuing a plan to introduce a new missile system by spending 300 billion won.

According to Malaysian media The Star and Bloomberg News on the 4th (local time), Malaysian Minister of Defense Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that he is considering introducing a new missile system to replace the Norwegian missile.

He added that up to 1 billion ringgit (about 330 billion won) is expected to be invested to introduce the new missile system.

He explained that he is currently reviewing three countries as candidates to replace the Norwegian-made missile system that was initially scheduled to be mounted on naval ships.

The Malaysian government's position is that it cannot afford to wait for the money paid during the Norwegian missile contract to be returned, and that it must quickly decide on an alternative plan.

“The government may need to consider new budget allocations to purchase new missiles to replace those made in Norway,” said Minister Mohamed Khaled.

He added, “Missiles are different from buying a car at a showroom,” adding, “You have to order it, and that process can take three to four years.”

Considering that the combat management system mounted on existing naval vessels is a product of a French defense company, the Malaysian government plans to consider compatibility when selecting a replacement missile.

Minister Mohamed Khaled pointed out that Norway did not take responsibility for unilaterally canceling the missile supply contract despite the long-standing relationship between the two countries, and that suspicions were raised that related companies were also delaying the process.

Previously, Malaysia decided to install 'Naval Strike Missiles' (NSM) on six new littoral combat ships (LCS) to modernize its navy and signed a contract with the Norwegian defense company Kongsberg in 2018.

However, the Norwegian government revised its export control regulations and revoked NSM's export approval to Malaysia in April.

At the same time, he expressed regret to the Malaysian government, saying that he limited the sale of the most sensitive defense technology to allies or closest partner countries.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim strongly criticized the decision in a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Garster, calling it a unilateral and unacceptable decision, and in May sent a notice to Kongsberg demanding 1 billion ringgit in compensation.

Malaysia has already paid 126 million euros (about 191 billion won) for the purchase of the NSM system.