Defence looks set to be sentenced next month over the death of a soldier on a training exercise.
Private Michael Ross fell from an inflatable boat into Moawhango lake near Waiouru last September.
An internal Defence investigation found that his lifejacket failed to inflate.
Defence was charged with failing to take practicable steps to ensure the safety of the soldier, a charge that carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Taihape District Court said the Defence Force has intimated it will plead guilty at a court hearing in Auckland next month and will then be immediately sentenced.
