"The defence minister, Judith Collins, said NZ$2bn would be spent buying five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and another $700,000 to buy two Airbus A321XLR aircraft. These are once-in-a-generation investments which are a vital down payment on our future security and our prosperity in a world where tensions are rising and distance no longer provides New Zealand the protection it once did, Collins told a press conference on Thursday afternoon."
"In April, New Zealand pledged to boost its defence spending by NZ$9bn over the next four years, and aims to nearly double spending to 2% as a share of GDP in the next eight years as part of its defence capability plan. The upgrade of the defence fleet is part of those planned commitments. Defence is not something that can be mothballed until you need it, Collins said."
"The defence force loans planes to New Zealand leaders when they embark on international travel, but the 30-year-old fleet has been plagued with problems in recent years an issue the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has previously labelled incredibly embarrassing. Last year, Luxon was forced to travel on a last-minute commercial flight to Australia for a summit after the RNZAF Boeing 757 he was due to use was grounded over maintenance issues."
New Zealand will invest nearly NZ$3bn to modernize its aging defence air fleet, purchasing five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for NZ$2bn and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft for NZ$700,000. The investments form part of a broader commitment to boost defence spending by NZ$9bn over four years and to reach about 2% of GDP within eight years under a defence capability plan. The upgrades aim to ensure a ready, deployable force capable of deterring and responding to rising international tensions. The current 30-year-old RNZAF fleet has suffered repeated failures that grounded prime ministers and disrupted diplomatic travel.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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