New Zealand is strengthening its air force. It is particularly concerned about China's expansion
New Zealand plans to increase its air defence capabilities. It will purchase Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters suitable for use over the sea and a pair of new Airbus A321 transport aircraft. The island nation wants to improve its arsenal at a time when China, the largest player in the region, is strengthening its military and conducting increasingly frequent manoeuvres in the region. Australia and New Zealand want to further increase their security cooperation. The latest report from New Zealand's secret services states that the country is currently facing its greatest national security challenges with growing threats of foreign interference and espionage, mainly from China.
Five Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for NZ$2 billion, equivalent to almost 25 billion Czech korunas, and two Airbus A321 XLRs for 700 million, or just under nine billion, will replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force's obsolete fleet of eight Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters and two Boeing 757 transport aircraft. The Kaman SH-2G(I) helicopters have been in service since 2015, the older SH-2G(NZ) variant since 2001, and the military Boeing 757s took off for the first time under the local flag two years later. Despite subsequent partial improvements to the transport aircraft, the island nation's government felt the need to modernise its air force amid Western partners’ rearmament and increasing pressure to strengthen security in the face of global conflicts.
"This decision will ensure that New Zealand has a critically important combat-ready, interoperable and reliable air fleet," New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said in an official statement on the purchase. "The MH-60R Seahawk is a great machine for what New Zealand needs and meets our goal of having a more integrated Anzac (Australia-New Zealand Army Corps) force. The new aircraft will provide us with a reliable means of deploying personnel and responding to international events," Collins added, noting that the acquisition is intended to directly support and go hand in hand with the country’s navy, which plays a vital role.
Delighted to announce with @NewZealandMFA that Seahawk helicopters & Airbus planes will replace our aging Maritime helicopters & 757s. We’re rebuilding our Defence force: https://t.co/538hIufgoW
— Judith Collins (@JudithCollinsMP) August 21, 2025
(Video credits: @NZDefenceForce @Airbus @DeptofDefense @DefenceAust ) pic.twitter.com/zOxUyzy0n2
The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, designated Romeo, has technologies and capabilities specifically designed for maritime operations. Designed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy, it specialises in anti-submarine warfare and countering threats on and below the surface. It is aided in this by advanced digital sensors, including multimode radar, an electronic support measures system and infrared cameras. It is also equipped with aircraft crew survival systems, submersible sonar and sonar buoys. The fully integrated mission system processes data from the sensors to create a complete situational picture of the ocean's surface and underwater areas, according to the manufacturer.
The Airbus A321XLR has a range of 8,700 kilometres, compared to 7,200 kilometres for the Boeing 757. This will allow soldiers on missions as far away as Antarctica to return safely to New Zealand if they are unable to land due to ice or weather conditions. In this case, the local government replaced the French manufacturer with an American one – a redesigned version of the A321 aircraft with extended range, which commercial carriers around the world are switching to for both passenger and cargo transport.
"I think that as a nation, we are very focused on our security, but also on getting involved in things like search and rescue. We are not aggressive, but we know that sometimes we will have to stand up for ourselves," Collins said in an interview with Defence News. As a NATO partner, New Zealand, along with Australia, South Korea and Japan, is part of the Indo-Pacific Four, which works closely with the US and other partners to maintain balance in a region where China is steadily expanding its influence. Beijing's manoeuvres and exercises are becoming increasingly aggressive and closer to all of the aforementioned countries in the Pacific Ocean.
China set off alarm bells in New Zealand when it dispatched powerful warships on unprecedented missions in the South Pacific without explanation, according to military documents obtained by AFPhttps://t.co/EtK2EkeNHq pic.twitter.com/CVVPSHqzDq
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 22, 2025
In February, Chinese warships even fired their weapons directly between Australia and New Zealand during exercises in the Tasman Sea. "Geostrategic competition, particularly between major powers, is obviously something that countries like Australia and New Zealand discuss and cooperate on politically," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during the conclusion of a new agreement to strengthen cooperation. "Both countries follow essentially the same approach in their bilateral negotiations with China. It is important that we can engage," continued his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, according to the Indo-Pacific Defence Forum.
The intelligence services of the smaller of the two partners are now warning that attempts at undesirable foreign influence and espionage are increasing dramatically. Following the example of the West, they acknowledge the threat, particularly from Russia, Iran and especially China. According to the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, the country is almost certainly facing undetected espionage activities that are damaging its interests. According to the NZSIS, foreign states continue to target critical organisations, infrastructure and technologies with the aim of stealing sensitive information. "China is a particularly assertive and powerful player in the region and has demonstrated a willingness and ability to conduct intelligence activities targeting New Zealand's national interests," the secret service report states. Following the example of its propaganda, Beijing calls such claims false and an attempt to destabilise mutual relations.
