The Turnbull government says the construction of its new fleet of British-designed naval frigates will create 4000 jobs and create an industry that in future won’t need help from overseas to make large and complex warships.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will on Friday confirm that — as reported last week by Fairfax Media — Britain’s BAE Systems has won a hard-fought contest to help Australia with the $35 billion program to build nine new frigates to be named the Hunter class.

They will be built in Adelaide and come into service from the late 2020s, replacing the current Anzac Class frigates.

An artist's rendering of BAE Systems Global Combat Ship Australia, confirmed as the chosen design for a new fleet of frigates.

The choice of the British firm over Italian and Spanish rivals reflects that BAE Systems had the most modern design, but also likely the fact Australia is looking to shore up its close relationship with Britain at a time of global strategic uncertainty.