New Zealand is looking to return to operation one of its idled offshore patrol vessels after a specialist dive ship sank, a defence spokesperson says.
The Manawanui, a specialist hydrographic ship, sank on a reef it was surveying off the coast of Samoa in October.
The navy now has five operational ships as three had been put into "care and custody" because of staff shortages.
The defence force and its partners were gauging how much work would be needed to bring an offshore patrol vessel back into operation, the spokesperson told Reuters.
"That assessment work will be complete by the end of the month and will determine the time frame for subsequent regeneration," the spokesperson said in an email.
The capability challenges facing the NZ military returned to the spotlight in October 2023 when it flagged constraints on its ability to tackle humanitarian emergencies in the Pacific during the cyclone season.
NZ's military stands ready to respond to any natural disasters in the region, the spokesperson said.
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