▁Re action ▁Force ▁( R R F ), ▁with ▁secondary ▁roles ▁including ▁dis aster ▁relief , ▁civil ▁defence , ▁Ant ar ctic ▁supply , ▁and ▁United ▁Nations ▁operations . ▁The ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁Def ence ▁Review ▁noted ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁such ▁a ▁vessel , ▁with ▁attention ▁drawn ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁ship ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁Def ence ▁White ▁P aper . ▁A ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁study ▁indicated ▁that ▁the ▁minimum ▁requirement ▁was ▁a ▁vessel ▁able ▁to ▁transport ▁ 2 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁and ▁equipment , ▁and ▁un load ▁them ▁either ▁through ▁beach ▁land ings ▁or ▁wh arf ▁facilities . ▁The ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁transport ▁vessel ▁was ▁again ▁identified ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁Def ence ▁White ▁P aper , ▁with ▁such ▁a ▁vessel ▁essential ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁tasks ▁specified ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Def ence ▁Force ▁in ▁that ▁document . ▁A ▁review ▁subsequent ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁White ▁P aper ▁proposed ▁a ▁less - cap able ▁vessel ▁than ▁previously , ▁with ▁the ▁ship ▁able ▁to ▁perform ▁wh arf ▁land ings ▁only . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁transport ation ▁of ▁soldiers , ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁en vis aged ▁for ▁use ▁during ▁civil ▁emer gen cies ▁in ▁South ▁Pacific ▁nations ▁to ▁deliver ▁supplies ▁of ▁extract ▁New ▁Zealand ▁citizens , ▁and ▁to ▁keep ▁transport ▁routes ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁off sh ore ▁islands , ▁or ▁across ▁Cook ▁Stra it , ▁if ▁civil ian ▁services ▁became ▁restricted ▁or ▁un