The increased cost in materials besides state-of-the art weaponry and other aspects are the reasons why the cost of procuring six littoral combat ships (LCS) is over RM6 billion, said Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

He said the ships, which would be built locally by Boustead Naval Shipyard in collaboration with six reputable overseas shipyards, had better capability than the offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) RMN was currently using.