When our troops travel internationally, be it for exercises, United Nations deployments or disaster relief, their expertise and skills are well-regarded and much appreciated.
They have gained this reputation despite, not because of, the tools which successive governments have equipped them with.
One wonders what curse has stricken New Zealand’s military procurement process. From planes that don’t fly to armoured vehicles which remain parked up, and now ships that have vanished beneath the waves, it seems a perpetual struggle for the country’s army, navy and air forces to find reliable and useful pieces of military hardware.
Of course, the full details of what befell HMNZS Manawanui off the coast of Samoa remain to be established. A series of dives will be conducted and a remote operated vehicle used to assess the ship — ironically, this is just the sort of job which Manawanui was purchased for.
The recently purchased and upgraded offshore support vessel — which, with a very modern twist, Wikipedia had already started referring to it as a "was" rather than an "is" within hours of its demise — was a busy and important piece of the Royal New Zealand Navy fleet.
Manawanui was very much a representation of how New Zealand interpreted the role of its naval vessels in the 21st century.
Rather than being a floating platform for artillery, Manawanui was rigged out with scientific equipment for ocean floor surveying — the task it was carrying out when it sank.
Its substantial holds had been invaluable in ferrying supplies for disaster relief , notably in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, and the ship had proven its worth in foreign seas assisting demining and explosive removal work.
Thankfully, all its crew got off Manawanui safely: the ship sank quickly and it now sits between 35 and 150m underwater.
Samoa is a friend and neighbour: New Zealand must do its utmost to protect its waters and beaches in the aftermath of this incident.
Quite apart from any sense of national embarrassment felt in the wake of yet another high-profile defence force machinery failure, the sinking of Manawanui has provided another unwanted headache for the government.
It had already been an expensive few days, with the taxpayer having to contribute to flooding cleanup and infrastructure repairs.
Now the government, which lest we forget is already looking for an interisland ferry or two, has to scan the world looking for a replacement for Manawanui — a purchase which was certainly not planned or budgeted for in the short or possibly even the medium term, as Manawanui was expected to serve for 15 years and began sailing under its new colours in 2019.
Finding Manawanui was not easy — a reported 150 vessels were considered before the former oil company survey vessel was purchased and substantially refitted. The choice was made more difficult by the fact that Manawanui was replacing two different vessels: survey ship HMNZS Resolution and a dive tender, also called HMNZS Manawanui.
It was also expensive, at more than $100 million. Assuming that a suitable replacement ship can be easily found, it is unlikely that the bill will be any cheaper.
The government has been working on a new defence capability plan, and going by comments from Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Defence Minister Judith Collins a vessel able to carry out the duties of Manawanui had been part of their initial thoughts.
So it should have been: Manawanui did its job and did it well. Its absence will be keenly felt.
But doing the job of selecting its replacement, and also the job of further defence force equipment upgrades, must also be done well.
Even if it transpires from the full inquiries which will ensue, that the sinking of Manawanui was pure misfortune rather than another example of systemic failure, there have been enough missteps in defence force procurement in the past for all involved to tread carefully this time around.
