The United States has approved the possible sale of five Seahawk maritime helicopters to New Zealand in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, as Wellington moves to strengthen its armed forces.
The U.S. State Department said on Friday that it had approved a potential Foreign Military Sale of MH-60R multi-mission helicopters and related equipment to New Zealand.
The helicopters are produced by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of U.S. defence company Lockheed Martin.
The planned purchase forms part of New Zealand’s wider effort to modernise its military and increase defence spending over the coming years.
The centre-right government announced in 2025 that it would invest an additional NZ$9 billion, around $5.21 billion, over four years. It also plans to raise defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product within eight years.
Last month, the government allocated NZ$1.58 billion, around $916 million, in new defence funding as part of that programme.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand could no longer rely on the relatively stable security environment of previous decades.
“We've moved from a benign environment to a much more globally strategically competitive environment. It's entirely appropriate that we double our defence spending,” Luxon said during a visit to Australia’s Queensland state, where he was attending annual talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The United States has encouraged allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to increase military spending and strengthen defence capabilities.
New Zealand, a close partner of Australia, has expanded its military presence in East Asia in recent years, as concerns grow over regional security and China’s rapidly developing military capabilities.
According to the U.S. State Department, the proposed sale would improve New Zealand’s ability to respond to current and future threats and help protect 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 New Zealand would use the helicopters and related equipment to strengthen its national defence capabilities.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy says envoys from the United States will be visiting Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate an end to the conflict.
The Trump administration pressured U.S. space companies not to attend a high-profile space summit in Paris organised by French President Emmanuel Macron, prompting a last-minute reshuffle and the cancellation of some planned announcements, according to sources familiar with the matter.
A Russian court on Thursday imposed restrictions on Lida Moniava, the founder of a children’s hospice, who is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
China’s state-owned shipping giant COSCO has used concealed equipment aboard some of its vessels to collect intelligence on military communications near the coastlines of countries including the U.S., according to two senior Trump administration officials.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would block federal funding for universities that boycott Israel, as Republicans push ahead with pro-Israel measures despite growing criticism of the Israeli government over the war in Gaza.
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