KUALA LUMPUR: The planned delivery schedule for Malaysia's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) vessels remains on track despite Norway's revocation of the export licence for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the development will also not affect the current operational readiness of the armed forces, as the Navy continues to have existing assets and weapons to carry responsibility of safeguarding the nation's maritime sovereignty.
"The ministry views the Norwegian government’s decision to revoke the export licence for the NSM with utmost seriousness.
"As for the LCS programme, the cancellation of the export licence will not affect the planned delivery schedule of the vessels.
“Through the navy, the ministry is assessing and evaluating alternative missile systems that could replace the NSM,” he said in a parliamentary written reply in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (July 1).
He said this in response to Mohd Kurnianwan Naim Moktar (Barisan Nasional–Kinabatangan) who asked about the implication of Norway's cancellation of the export licence for the NSM system on Malaysia's maritime defence readiness, particularly the LCS programme, and the mitigation measures being implemented by the government.
In May, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia would proceed with legal action against the Norway-based supplier for failing to deliver the missile system following the cancellation of the export licence by the Norwegian government.
He said the legal action would continue despite an apology from his Norwegian counterpart, Tore O. Sandvik, over Oslo's decision to revoke the export permit.
Norway previously said it had cancelled the export licence for the NSM anti-ship missiles and their associated launcher systems to Malaysia on national security grounds.
The NSM is a long-range anti-ship missile capable of conducting maritime strike missions at high subsonic speed with a range exceeding 300km.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled said the ministry will accelerate the implementation of the National Defence Industry Policy (DIPN) to strengthen the domestic defence industry, while prioritising government-to-government (G2G) procurement for future strategic acquisitions to reduce the risk of unilateral disruptions or contract cancellations.
“The incident serves as an important lesson on the risks of relying on a single supplier,” he said.
He added that the ministry has also implemented several mitigation measures to ensure the country's maritime defence readiness remains intact.
These include continuing life extension and maintenance programmes for existing assets, diversifying sources of defence procurement, and strengthening defence diplomacy to ensure the continuity of strategic supply chains.
