KOTA TINGGI: The additional costs of equipping the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) littoral combat ships (LCS) with Türkiye’s Atmaca missiles will cover integration work and the provision of launch systems.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the government had already ordered Atmaca missiles for its littoral mission ships (LMS), allowing part of the existing order to be redirected to the LCS as a replacement for Norway’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
“I have already ordered Atmaca missiles for the LMS. So now, I only need to take those Atmaca missiles and put them there (on the LCS).
“The additional costs will be for integration and the launch systems. Once Norway refunds our money, we will use it to pay for the new missiles,” he told reporters after attending the Sekolah Angkat Madani handover ceremony at Sekolah Kebangsaan Panchor here today.
Khaled said the Atmaca missiles ordered for the LMS were expected to be ready in 2028, adding that using the same system would allow the ministry to utilise its existing order.
He declined to disclose the additional costs, saying negotiations were ongoing.
Asked whether the government was confident of recovering the payment from Norway, Khaled said the process could involve legal action, including arbitration or court proceedings.
“If we go for arbitration, many parties do not comply with arbitration decisions. They may also refuse to comply, and we may have to go to court. It could take two, three, four or five years. I do not know,” he said.
The government had earlier selected Türkiye as an alternative supplier to replace the NSM system after evaluating proposals from several countries, including France and Italy, based on price, delivery timelines and upfront costs.
Khaled said further negotiations would be held with Türkiye to finalise the procurement, including ensuring the missile system’s suitability for and integration with the LCS.
On May 19, the Defence Ministry issued a notice of claim against Norwegian defence manufacturer Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS, seeking about RM1 billion in compensation following the cancellation of the NSM export permit.
The amount comprises €126 million (RM583.47 million) in direct costs already paid by the government, as well as claims for indirect losses.