Labor wants reassurance over navy ships

Labor wants reassurance from the federal government that two of the navy's largest ships will return to service quickly and be ready for the next cyclone season.

Rear Admiral Adam Grunsell, the head of maritime systems in Defence's Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, has conceded there could be a design problem with HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Canberra, which have been docked in Sydney since March.

"It's much too early to talk about how extensive these issues might be. It's absolutely critical that the government over coming weeks, however, reassures Australians about what the next steps are," Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.