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Norway’s foreign ministry has defended a decision to revoke export licenses linked to a naval missile system for Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur warned that the move could impact confidence in European defense suppliers.
The move had blocked delivery of the Naval Strike Missile system as well as launcher components that had been destined for Malaysia’s littoral combat ship program under the terms of a 2018 deal. The purchase had been planned as part of the Southeast Asian nation’s wider naval modernisation efforts.
The Norwegian ministry on Friday said that while Oslo “greatly values its relationship with Malaysia,” it has increased oversight on defense technology and that exports of some of its “most sensitive” homegrown products would be limited to its “allies and closest partners.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had warned earlier this week that the decision could reduce confidence in European defense suppliers and may hurt Malaysia’s operational readiness.
Contracts are “not confetti to be scattered in so capricious a manner,” Anwar said. “If European defense suppliers reserve the right to renege with impunity, their value as strategic partners flies out the window.”
“Malaysia has honoured every obligation under this contract since 2018: scrupulously, faithfully and without equivocation,” he added.
Malaysia had agreed the deal for the NSM anti-ship missile system with Norway’s Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace in 2018. Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin has said that the government has already paid around 95% of the contract.
According to Kongsberg, the NSM is a subsonic missile that can be used to strike targets on both sea and land.
The missile also has sea-skimming capabilities and is equipped with “Autonomous Target Recognition,” the company says on its website.