9 9 2 ▁to ▁identify ▁civil ian ▁ships ▁that ▁met ▁the ▁R N Z N ' s ▁criteria ▁and ▁were ▁available ▁to ▁purchase ▁second - hand ; ▁the ▁company ▁returned ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁ 3 3 ▁ships ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁classes , ▁which ▁the ▁Def ence ▁Force ▁cul led ▁to ▁ 2 1 ▁ships ▁of ▁ 9 ▁classes , ▁then ▁again ▁to ▁ 4 ▁classes . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁as ▁the ▁second ▁revision ▁or ▁R ugg ▁and ▁Co ' s ▁list , ▁ship y ards ▁in ▁Spain , ▁Korea , ▁and ▁Poland ▁were ▁asked ▁about ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁new - build ▁vessels . ▁By ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁a ▁Mer c and ian ▁ 2 - in - 1 ▁class ▁vessel ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁preferred ▁type ; ▁although ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁loss ▁of ▁cap ability ▁compared ▁to ▁a ▁purpose - built ▁vessel , ▁this ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁acceptable ▁trade off ▁as ▁the ▁R N Z N ▁would ▁have ▁great ▁difficulty ▁aff ording ▁a ▁new ▁ship , ▁particularly ▁after ▁acqu iring ▁the ▁An z ac ▁class ▁fr ig ates . ▁An ▁independent ▁review ▁by ▁British ▁company ▁B MT ▁Def ence ▁Services ▁indicated ▁that ▁conversion ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁vessel ▁for ▁military ▁service ▁was ▁feas ible , ▁but ▁war ned ▁that ▁the ▁r amp ▁size ▁and ▁vehicle ▁deck ▁height ▁were ▁smaller ▁than ▁the ▁R N Z N ▁had ▁specified , ▁and ▁that ▁motion ▁in ▁heavy ▁conditions , ▁particularly ▁with ▁the ▁later