Malaysia nears choice of replacement missile for LCS fleet

MALAYSIA is in the final stages of selecting a replacement surface-to-surface missile for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), with three systems from three countries shortlisted.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said several key issues remained to be finalised before the government could make a decision, but declined to identify the countries or missile systems under consideration.

“We are at the final stage and have shortlisted three surface-to-surface missiles from three different countries,” he told a press conference after launching the Cyber Force Nucleus Team in conjunction with the 93rd Malaysian Armed Forces Day at the RMN Base in Lumut today.

The selection follows Malaysia’s decision in July to halt any new defence procurement from Norway after Oslo cancelled the export licence for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), which had originally been selected to arm the LCS fleet.

On reports that Malaysia was considering India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Mohamed Khaled said the proposal had instead been referred to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) for evaluation.

He said any acquisition would have to take into account technical compatibility, financial implications and operational requirements.

“If there are proposals, we leave it to the RMAF to conduct a study. There are matters regarding system integration, implications, and necessary upgrades to RMAF defence assets, including our Sukhoi jet fleet,” he said.

“We also have to look at our defence doctrine, as our current system covers ranges within 100 kilometres, whereas the BrahMos operates between 300 to 400 kilometres,” he added.

During an official visit to New Delhi last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that Malaysia was exploring preliminary discussions with India on the possible acquisition of the BrahMos system. - September 19, 2026