THE United States has offered to explore a potential missile sale to Malaysia as Kuala Lumpur seeks alternatives following Norway’s cancellation of an export licence for a key naval weapons system, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.
The matter was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Mohamed Khaled and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 23rd International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, which is being held in Singapore until Sunday.
Khaled said he raised Malaysia’s difficulties in obtaining the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system from Norway and sought Washington’s views on how the issue could be addressed.
"We have sought the United States' views to help find a solution to the issue we are facing because, as is well known, there is a US company that manufactures the same missile as Norway.
"We have asked whether the United States would be prepared to approve the sale of the missile to us in order to address the problem we are facing," he told Bernama today.
"I congratulate Australia on the implementation of its National Defence Strategy 2026 (NDS 2026) and Integrated Investment Program 2026 (IIP 2026), which represent important steps towards strengthening its defence capabilities and operational readiness," he said.
Malaysia also moved to strengthen defence ties with Canada, with Khaled proposing a formal bilateral defence cooperation framework to provide a more structured basis for future collaboration.
"We have proposed the establishment of a formal defence cooperation framework to be signed by both countries, as the existing cooperation is currently not based on any formal agreement," he said.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, organised annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, brings together defence ministers, military chiefs and senior diplomats from dozens of countries to discuss regional and global security issues, making it one of the most influential defence forums in the Asia-Pacific region. - May 30, 2026
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