New aircraft for the RNZAF

On 21 August 2025, New Zealand's Defence Minister Hon. Judith Collins KC announced military spending of USD 1,6 billion (NZD 2,7 billion) to replace ageing aircraft.

The procurement includes five Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopters to replace the current fleet of Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters, and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft to replace Boeing 757s that are more than 30 years old and were already second-hand when purchased.

The Seasprites were also second-hand, obtained from the Royal Australian Navy's cancelled SH-2G(A) programme. They were first returned to Kaman Helicopters for a complete overhaul before being delivered to New Zealand in 2015, with final deliveries by the end of that year.

The Airbus A321XLR, the latest addition to the A320neo family, has a range of 4.700 nmi (8.700 km; 5.400 mi). It features a permanent Rear Centre Tank (RCT) for additional fuel, strengthened landing gear, and an optimised wing trailing-edge flap configuration to preserve take-off performance.

This purchase marks the first procurement under a government plan disclosed in April 2025 to double defence spending from 1% to 2% of GDP over the next decade. Scramble Magazine first reported on the 2025 Defence Capability Plan (DCP) in May, which outlines a planned investment of NZD 12 billion over the next four years in defence capabilities and enablers.

Collins noted that acquiring the helicopters would take "a few years," as New Zealand must "wait in line" to receive new builds. She denied that the decision to buy from the US was an attempt to address the trade imbalance caused by the Trump administration’s global tariffs plan, which imposed a 15% levy on New Zealand goods entering the US.

Credit images (just illustrative): Airbus and Westleigh Bushell (Scramble Archive)