The Defence Force (NZDF) has told a Parliamentary committee that it could take up to seven years to repair the damage caused by budget cuts and get the force back to full strength.
In 2010, the Government announced the military would be expected to find $350 million per year in savings. Hundreds of redundancies and resignations followed.
A Defence Force report says a lack of skilled soldiers meant that there is a risk that it may be unable to deploy troops.
The report also exposed skill shortages in the army and warned that a navy ship and new air force helicopters could not be properly crewed.
The Government has since slowed the process because of the effect the cuts were having, but Labour says the defence minister needs to take responsibility for the damage.