Pacific ship build still in 'early stages'

Defence chiefs are still in the early stages of delivering on a promise to build a large naval ship that will help Australia's Pacific neighbours deal with natural disasters.

Defence secretary Greg Moriarty said money for the large-hulled ship would be drawn from the department's existing budget, within some training programs deferred as a consequence.

No decisions have been made about exactly what ship will be built.

"It won't need to be a particularly sophisticated vessel," Mr Moriarty told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Wednesday.

"It won't need particularly complicated weapon systems or command and control systems, but it will need the basic provisions that any Royal Australian Navy vessel would have."

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne promised in November to build the new ship as part of Australia's pivot to the neighbouring region.