Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has formally protested Oslo’s decision to revoke the export license for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system intended to arm the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), describing the move as “unilateral and unacceptable.”
In a Facebook statement on May 14, 2026, Anwar said he had relayed Malaysia’s objection in a telephone conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The Norwegian government revoked export approvals covering both the missiles and their associated launcher systems, citing national security grounds. Anwar told his counterpart that Kuala Lumpur had honored every contractual obligation since the deal was signed in 2018, and warned that the revocation would carry grave consequences for Malaysian operational readiness, with broader ramifications for the regional balance.
Contract revoked days before scheduled delivery
The agreement between Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and the Royal Malaysian Navy was signed in April 2018 with a value of $146 million (approximately RM571.9 million) to equip the LCS class. Delivery had been scheduled for March 2026 after several earlier delays, with Norwegian authorities revoking the licenses just days before the missiles were due to depart.
A spokesperson for Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Breaking Defense on May 7, 2026, that the move reflected Oslo’s “stricter controls of certain technologies.”
The Norwegian government has not publicly detailed which technologies prompted the reversal. Kongsberg, the prime contractor, told Reuters that export licensing decisions rest with Norwegian authorities and that the company complies with all applicable regulations.
Setback for the Littoral Combat Ship program
The cancellation lands at a sensitive moment for Malaysia’s long-troubled LCS program, launched in 2011 with an initial budget of $2.8 billion (RM6 billion) for six Gowind-class frigates. The project was restructured in 2023 following a government review and reduced to five vessels, with lead ship LCS 1 Maharaja Lela only recently beginning sea trials after years of delays.
The NSM had been selected as the program’s primary anti-ship and land-attack weapon, complementing the broader Malaysian defense modernization effort that has accelerated since the early 2020s.
With a range exceeding 300 kilometers, the NSM remains one of Norway’s flagship defense exports and is also co-produced in Australia through a Kongsberg partnership announced in 2024. The Royal Malaysian Navy now faces the prospect of fielding its modernized frigate fleet without its intended principal armament.
Malaysia is considering legal action, and Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin is expected to meet his Norwegian counterpart in Singapore later in May 2026 to formally seek clarification. Kuala Lumpur has not indicated whether it will pursue reimbursement of payments already made under the contract, or which alternative missile system might replace the NSM aboard the LCS frigates.
