A guilty plea is expected today from the NZ Defence Force over health and safety failures which led to the deaths of three men in a 2010 military helicopter crash.

The future of New Zealand peacekeeping is under increasing scrutiny as it bids for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says he can't rule out civilian deaths at the hands of foreign troops as part of a joint raid with NZ soldiers in Afghanistan.

Two inquiries have begun into the award of an $80,000 military contract after the Defence Minister was told the private company doing the work was owned and run by serving personnel.

The owner of a world-famous dog found floating on a log near Great Barrier Island this week has spoken - and this fishy dog's tale is not all it seemed.

The head of New Zealand's anti-doping agency says athletes are failing to speak out against drug cheats within their codes out of loyalty to their team mates.

'Nothing was located.' A jet-skier's reported sighting of a World War Two sea mine sparked a fruitless search in Lyttelton Harbour.

The family of dead soldier Rory Malone claim the Defence Force have treated them like 'second-class' citizens and the insensitive handling of his funeral arrangements caused them unnecessary stress.

Two defence staff killed themselves and seven others attempted to do so in the past year.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has denied accusations the SAS is under-equipped for battle.

An elite NZ soldier who has served in some of the worst conflict zones in recent history will not be dismissed despite being convicted of stealing military equipment.

An SAS soldier has been fined $4700 at a court martial in Auckland this afternoon for stealing service property, but can remain in the Army.

Testing for anabolic steroid use should be considered by the NZ Defence and Police forces, a coroner has recommended following an inquest.

A staff sergeant in the SAS has told a court martial about how surplus United States military equipment, including a truck, was used by New Zealand armed forces in Afghanistan.

One of the charges against a SAS soldier facing a court martial has been withdrawn this morning.

The Navy's offshore patrol vessel has set off again for the Southern Ocean to monitor fishing in the region.

The Defence Force paid US$1,000 to the families of two elite Afghan soldiers who were killed while the SAS was mentoring them.

Old soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with serving troops this morning to commemorate Armistice Day on the 95th anniversary of the end of World War I.

A new twin-engined air force helicopter will need all its rotors repaired or replaced, at a cost of millions of dollars, after being hit by lightning.

The first female Papua New Guinea army officers have just completed a rigorous training exercise, with the help of a New Zealand Army Captain.

A gay and lesbian support group in one of our most conservative institutions - the military - has won the supreme award in this year's Equal Employment Opportunities Trust diversity awards.

An SAS raid which left two people dead and gave rise to claims of murder by the elite soldiers led to $10,000 compensation paid for each person killed, a new film claims.

The Defence Force may have a legitimate role in maintaining the military strength of the nation but since when was its job to suppress information?