The US approval for the sale follows comments from US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth that amounted to accusing New Zealand of “freeloading” during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month.
Collins’ announcement last August, which also included plans to lease-to-buy two new Airbus A321XLR planes to replace the current 757s, followed the Government’s Defence Capability Plan promise earlier in the year to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP over eight years and funding $12b over four years to rebuild and modernise the New Zealand Defence Force.
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth criticised New Zealand and other countries for not spending enough on defence when he spoke at a summit in Singapore last month. Photo / Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
The US State Department said today the MH-60R helicopters’ sale would improve New Zealand’s “capability to meet current and future warfare threats by providing greater security for its critical infrastructure”.
“New Zealand will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defence,” it added.
The State Department said it had also approved a US$69m sale of MK 54 torpedoes to New Zealand.
The State Department had notified Congress about the proposed sales, which still need to be approved by lawmakers.
Defence Minister Chris Penk was in Singapore last month to hear Hegseth’s public criticism of New Zealand’s military spend – and other nations that spend less than 3.5% of GDP on defence.
“For those who continue to free-ride on the generosity of the American taxpayer, hear us now: those days are over”, Hegseth said.
“Allies that refuse to stand up and carry their weight for our collective defence will face a clear shift in how we do business.”
– additional reporting by AFP