Malaysia selects Turkiye as preferred alternative missile supplier for Navy’s LCS project, says defence minister

KUALA LUMPUR, November 12 - The Royal Malaysian Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project has chosen Turkiye as the preferred alternative supplier for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) that Norway currently provides. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced the decision after assessing proposals from Turkiye, France and Italy based on pricing, delivery times and initial costs.

Speaking to reporters at the 2026 Innovation Day celebration held at the Mindef Auditorium, the minister expressed that further negotiations with Turkiye would be held to finalize the agreement. He noted that the Turkish missile would be of the same type already ordered for the LCS and that the delivery could commence as early as 2028.

The defence minister explained that while Malaysia would not bear the complete cost of the new missiles, as part of it was already accounted for in the LCS contract, the government would primarily be responsible for installing the launchers and integrating the systems. He added that the NSM procurement from Norway had been delayed due to the Norwegian government's failure to provide the necessary license, despite Malaysia having paid for the missiles.

The government is now prepared to pursue legal action through arbitration under the NSM procurement contract. Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled stated that Malaysia would not wait for the arbitration process to conclude before seeking an NSM alternative to keep the country's defence requirements met while the legal proceedings are ongoing.