The Ministry of Defence announced the purchase on October 16 following approval of an intergovernmental Letter of Offer and Acceptance. The agreement includes weapons, spare parts, associated systems and supporting equipment.
Average annual operating funding will be NZ$110 million over the next 10 years. Funding has also been reserved for infrastructure design and temporary facilities at RNZAF Base Auckland in Whenuapai.
The Seahawks will support anti-surface and underwater warfare, search and rescue, and maritime counterterrorism operations. They will also transport personnel and supplies between ships and shore.
The ministry said the helicopters’ greater speed and ability to fly farther from ships would extend the surveillance range of New Zealand’s frigates. The aircraft will also strengthen the ships’ offensive and defensive capabilities and be interoperable with Australian and other partner defense forces.
Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky manufactures the MH-60R. The ministry lists its maximum speed at 333 kilometers per hour and its range at 963 kilometers.
The helicopter operates with a crew of three. In utility configuration, it can carry more than 1,500 kilograms of cargo.
The proposed weapons package included 225 APKWS-equipped 70 mm rockets and 65 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, according to U.S. State Department information cited in the additional reporting. It also included five M240D machine guns and 20 Mk 54 Mod 0 lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes.
The ministry’s announcement confirmed the purchase of weapons but did not specify quantities. Its published specifications list Mk 54 torpedoes, Hellfire missiles, crew-served machine guns and APKWS among the MH-60R’s weapon systems.
The purchase makes New Zealand a new customer for the MH-60R program. Further investment decisions are expected to cover infrastructure, training systems and complementary uncrewed aerial systems.
