New Zealand to acquire five US Seahawk helicopters in $1.5 billion deal

The United States on Saturday approved a $1.5 billion sale of five MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters and related equipment to New Zealand, according to a Reuters report.

The development marks a significant step in Wellington’s efforts to modernise its defence forces and strengthen national security capabilities.

The US Department of State said in a statement that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale to New Zealand involving the multi-mission helicopters, which are designed for maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue operations, and other defence missions.

The proposed package will now move through the required approval process.

The deal comes as New Zealand accelerates plans to increase military spending amid a changing security environment in the Indo-Pacific region.

The US has been pushing its allies in both Europe and the Asia-Pacific to invest more heavily in defence, while concerns over growing strategic competition and China’s expanding military capabilities continue to shape regional security policies.

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Strengthening defence capabilities

The US State Department said that the proposed sale would improve New Zealand’s ability to address current and future security challenges while enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure.

“The proposed sale will improve New Zealand’s capability to meet current and future warfare threats by providing greater security for its critical infrastructure,” the department said.

It added that the enhanced capability would help strengthen New Zealand’s homeland defence and support its role as a security partner in the region.

The MH-60R Seahawk helicopters are manufactured by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin. The aircraft are widely used by the US Navy and several allied nations for maritime operations.

Part of broader defence spending plan

The helicopter acquisition forms part of New Zealand’s broader defence strategy announced in 2025. Under the plan, the government committed to increasing defence expenditure by approximately $5 billion over four years and aims to raise military spending to 2 per cent of country's GDP within the next eight years.

According to the report, last month, Wellington allocated around $916 million in new defence funding as part of ongoing efforts to upgrade military equipment and improve operational readiness.

Speaking from Queensland, Australia, where he is attending the annual bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reaffirmed the government’s commitment to higher defence spending.

According to the report, Luxon said that New Zealand had experienced “30 years of underinvestment” in its defence forces and argued that the country must adapt to a more competitive global security environment.

He said that increasing defence expenditure was necessary as the world had moved from a relatively stable environment to one marked by growing strategic competition.