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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