US to consider selling naval strike missiles to Malaysia, says Khaled

PETALING JAYA: The US has assured Putrajaya that it will consider selling Malaysia a replacement for the naval strike missile system whose delivery was cancelled by the Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, says defence minister Khaled Nordin.

He said the matter was raised with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth during a bilateral meeting in Singapore where both are attending the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Khaled said it is well known that a US company manufactures the same missile system as Norway. “We have asked whether the US is willing to allow the sale of the missiles,” Bernama reported him as saying today.

The Norwegian government had previously revoked the export permit for the naval missile system ordered by Malaysia under a 2018 contract to equip six littoral combat ships. Norway said exports of its defence technology would be limited to its “allies and closest partners”.

Malaysia is seeking more than RM1 billion in compensation from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for direct and indirect losses, as the government had already paid 95% of the RM634 million procurement value.

Khaled said he also met Australian deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles to discuss strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries.

He said Malaysia and Canada were also ready to strengthen defence ties through more formal cooperation.

The Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual conference of defence ministers, military chiefs and diplomats from dozens of countries to discuss regional and global security as well as defence issues.

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today