New Zealand Doubles Defense Budget with $1.6B Military Aircraft Purchase
New Zealand's government has announced new military spending of $1.6 billion to replace aging aircraft and helicopters. This spending is part of a plan to double defense spending from 1% to 2% of GDP in the next decade. The procurement includes five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft to replace older Boeing 757s. The helicopters account for more than $2 billion of the total spending. Defense Minister Judith Collins stated the government would procure the helicopters directly through the U.S. foreign military sales program. The decision aims to address rapidly growing global tensions and a deteriorating security environment in the Pacific, while New Zealand's military spending has trailed larger Five Eyes partners (U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia). Collins denied the U.S. procurement choice was to fix trade imbalances under Trump tariffs.