The United States has approved the proposed sale of five advanced MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and associated equipment to New Zealand in a deal valued at up to NZ$2.6 billion, alongside a separate NZ$119 million package for MK 54 torpedoes.
The helicopters, first announced by then Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters in 2025 as replacements for the Navy’s ageing maritime fleet, are designed for anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and strike operations.
Capable of carrying heavy payloads and equipped with torpedoes, Hellfire missiles and precision-guided weapons, the aircraft are already operated by Australia, the United States and several allied nations. The US State Department said the acquisition would strengthen New Zealand’s ability to protect critical infrastructure and respond to emerging security threats, while enhancing homeland defence capabilities.
The proposed sales must still receive approval from the US Congress before proceeding.
Hopefully these choppers aren’t 2nd-hand crap from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) https://en.ypagency.net/394965
The advertised “maritime surveillance” failed to detect the “…. orange streak in the sky while the Ford was operating in the Red Sea, as Iranian munitions appeared on the horizon” according to a US Navy sailor on board the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/527023/We-were-going-to-lose-the-USS-Gerald-R-Ford-CNN-reports-on
While the dumb yanks still keep pretending the fire started in the laundry
How about New Zealand declaring itself a neutral country. Ireland has been a neutral country for over a hundred years. Their military budget, which is mainly spent on peacekeeping duties, is less than half of what NZ taxpayers are being forced to pay.
Aussies killed their maritime NH90’s in record time. MH-60’s seem a little more durable for that role.
NZ should have purchased contra-rotating / coaxial rotor choppers from Russia, eliminating the inefficient tail rotor!
But..no one in Parliament or the holder of the Defence Portfolio ever asked for public input as to where their tax money would be spent or as they love to say in the parasitic halls of government, ‘investment in defence capabilities’…!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2VNgycDEm8
Meanwhile, over at hyper-priced *Sikorsky (Igor Sikorsky, inventor of the helicopter..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr4N8qszpys&list=PLqa9423Jd9Mo6TxdJaJ2LLQYMk6KIALo5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkHn35QS6dY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kP1meLrRaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1micJx2POA
Expect NZ govt to hand out more cash to the likes of Ukraine, for the privilege of interoperability with NATO pre-qualified equipment.