Acknowledging he was no expert on the off-shore patrol vessel, professor Dr Ron Smith, a political scientist at Waikato University, said he would not be surprised if, given the small ship's already considerable limitations, Otago would not be able to do all of the things it was specified to; for example, be able to land helicopters in rough southern seas.
"If defence acquisitions continue to proceed on the basis of asking what is the cheapest thing you can get to meet a particular capability need, then limited satisfaction of that need and poor performance is what is to be expected."
Dr Smith was commenting after Otago had to return to Auckland, only 12 hours into its first deployment outside New Zealand - to the Pacific Islands - after salt water contaminated its fuel.
The source of the water had not been traced yesterday, and Defence Minister Wayne Mapp hoped a sea trial tomorrow might provide an answer.
Otago's delivery this year was delayed by engine problems, and then gearbox problems on its maiden voyage to Dunedin.
Before that there were issues with its weight, and basic safety provisions.
If this turned out to be a manufacturing fault, repairs would be covered under warranty, Dr Mapp said.
Dr Smith said it was time people stopped worrying about the minutiae - such as a malfunction on a new ship already prone to problems - and started looking at how New Zealand came to be in this position in the first place.
New Zealand's approach to defence was conflicted, he said.
It wanted a well-equipped, modern military force, but did not want to spend too much money on it. Yet, when the cheaper equipment broke down, or if forces were sent to war zones with substandard equipment, people were upset.
The recently released defence white paper was a case in point, he said.
On one hand, it apparently recognised many of the threats and challenges likely to confront New Zealand in the coming 25 years, for which a properly trained and equipped military was required.
On the other, it said none of the progressive budget cuts of the past 25 years would be reversed, and in fact further cuts were sought.
"There is an apparent recognition of need, which is seemingly matched by a marked reluctance to do anything about it."
He quoted the last paragraph on page 35 of the white paper as "stunning" in its irony.
It says: "It is not enough just to arrive.
"The NZDF must be equipped sufficiently such that it does not need to depend on partners and friends for basic forms of operating support. It must have reliable and high-quality equipment so that it is both effective and safe, and not a liability to those alongside us."
If New Zealand intended dispatching its forces to conflict zones, it must equip them appropriately. Anything else was irresponsible.
But that was going to mean putting more money into equipment and training, he said.
