Malaysia has narrowed its search for a replacement anti-ship missile system to four potential suppliers after Norway revoked an export licence for a deal that Kuala Lumpur said was already more than 90 per cent paid for.

The cancellation came after Oslo tightened arms-export rules in a shift that analysts say reveals how access to advanced arms can depend as much on supplier-country politics as on signed contracts.

Turkey, South Korea and two unspecified European nations were being assessed as candidates to supply a replacement for the Naval Strike Missile, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Sunday.

The advanced anti-ship weapon manufactured by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace was intended to give Malaysia’s Maharaja Lela-class littoral combat ships (LCS) mid-to-long-range strike capability.

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin (right) shakes hands with his Norwegian counterpart Tore Sandvik on the sidelines of last month’s Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin (right) shakes hands with his Norwegian counterpart Tore Sandvik on the sidelines of last month’s Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Khaled said the selection criteria for any replacement would be stringent, with two priorities clear: speed of delivery and compatibility with the LCS’ French-built combat management system.