New Zealand's military said on Friday it had appealed a two year sentence for a soldier accused of attempted espionage, describing it as "manifestly inadequate".

The soldier, whose name has been temporarily suppressed, admitted to attempted espionage, accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and knowingly possessing an objectionable publication.

A military court sentenced him last month to two years' detention for attempting to spy for a foreign power -- the first spying conviction in New Zealand's history.

The name of the country the soldier had attempted to defect to is permanently suppressed.

"The Director of Military Prosecutions is appealing on the basis the Court Martial's sentence is manifestly inadequate," the country's Defence Force said in a statement on Friday.

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