Turnbull hits out in shipyard jobs joust

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is looking to sink claims not a single Australian shipyard worker will be employed as part of a $130 million contract for two new navy ships to be built in Spain.

The new supply ships will be constructed by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia at a cost of $646 million, with $130.4 million in Australian content for communications, combat systems and on-board cranes.

"These vessels will be manned, they'll be maintained in Australia, there will be a very large Australian input to them," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Friday.