WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand ‘s government announced new military spending Thursday of 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion) to replace aging aircraft, including helicopters it plans to purchase from the United States, senior officials said.

Cabinet ministers unveiling the package cited rapidly growing global tensions and a deteriorating security environment. New Zealand’s military spending has trailed that of its larger partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group of countries — which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia — and the bolstered budget reflects a shift in how the remote island nation is responding to strategic competition among major powers in the Pacific Ocean.

“We face the most challenging strategic circumstances in New Z

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