New Zealand’s Navy ship sank because autopilot was on and nobody noticed—just one of DOZENS of failures revealing a military in shambles.
At a Glance
- The HMNZS Manawanui ran aground and sank off Samoa’s coast after crew failed to realize the ship was on autopilot
- A Court of Inquiry found lack of training, qualifications, and experience among crew as key factors in the disaster
- All 75 crew members evacuated safely despite the numerous failings
- The incident revealed the “hollowness” of New Zealand’s struggling Navy, described as “extremely fragile”
- Environmental concerns were raised about the ship resting on a delicate reef it had ironically been surveying
A Navy Running on Empty
When a nation can’t even keep its naval ships from running into clearly visible reefs that they’re specifically there to survey, you know things have gone terribly wrong. That’s exactly what happened with the HMNZS Manawanui, a New Zealand navy vessel that ran aground, caught fire, and sank off Samoa last October.
The incompetence responsible for this disaster runs deep, with a military Court of Inquiry revealing a ship that was essentially a floating disaster waiting to happen. The most jaw-dropping revelation? The ship was on autopilot, which the crew didn’t even realize as they sailed straight into a reef. Let that sink in – literally.
This isn’t just a case of one ship with problems. The inquiry exposed a dozen critical failings that paint a picture of a navy in complete disarray. From insufficient training to a disturbing lack of qualified personnel, the HMNZS Manawanui was doomed from the start. The fact that this was one of only nine ships in New Zealand’s entire naval fleet and the first lost at sea since World War II makes this an even more embarrassing debacle for a nation that fancies itself a significant player in the South Pacific.
Hollow Military, Real Consequences
What we’re seeing in New Zealand is the inevitable result of years of military neglect and prioritizing woke initiatives over actual combat readiness. The report explicitly cited the “hollowness” of New Zealand’s navy as forcing them to take risks with inexperienced personnel. When a navy is so starved of resources and trained manpower that it can’t even safely operate the few vessels it has, it’s time to admit there’s a systemic failure of leadership and priorities.
“It’s an indictment on the fact that our Navy was left in quite a perilous state”, says Defense Minister Judith Collins.
Even New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins had to admit the embarrassing truth about the state of their Navy. When your own military leaders are describing your naval forces as “extremely fragile” due to aging hardware and chronic staffing issues, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands. The Court of Inquiry is now suggesting a separate disciplinary investigation for individual crew members, but shouldn’t the investigation start at the top with the bureaucrats who let the military deteriorate to this point?
Environmental Fallout and Face-Saving
In a twist of irony that you couldn’t make up if you tried, the ship was actually in the process of surveying the very reef it crashed into. Now it’s sitting there, potentially damaging the fragile ecosystem it was supposedly there to study. While New Zealand’s military scrambled to remove pollutants from the ship to prevent further damage, the incident has raised serious environmental concerns for the local Samoan community, forcing authorities to establish a no-fishing zone that was only lifted in February.
The understatement of the year award goes to Rear Admiral Garin Golding who admitted “Our reputation has taken a hit”, says Rear Admiral Garin Golding. That’s like saying the Titanic experienced a minor navigation issue. The only silver lining in this entire fiasco is that all 75 people aboard managed to evacuate safely, which speaks to the crew’s ability to handle a crisis they themselves created. Now New Zealand officials are making vague promises about a “serious uplift” of the country’s military, but we’ve heard this song and dance before from nations that continue to neglect their defense capabilities.
A Wake-Up Call for Western Militaries
What happened in Samoa should be a warning shot across the bow for Western nations that have increasingly hollow militaries. When you’re so desperate for personnel that you’re putting untrained, unqualified people in charge of multi-million dollar vessels, you’re not just risking equipment—you’re risking lives. The fact that no decision has been made about removing the ship from its final resting place shows the ongoing incompetence continues even after the disaster.
This entire situation perfectly illustrates what happens when a nation’s defense becomes an afterthought rather than a priority. The embarrassing transcript of the bridge conversation during the incident likely reveals panic and confusion from people who never should have been put in those positions in the first place. While New Zealand deals with this humiliating blow to its military reputation, let’s hope other nations take notice before they too find their ships at the bottom of the ocean because nobody bothered to check if autopilot was engaged.
