New Zealand will spend US$1.16 billion on a fleet of Sikorsky submarine-hunting helicopters to bolster its military capabilities, it announced Thursday.

The purchase of five Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters is part of a broader US$1.57 billion (NZ$2.7 billion) spend that also includes two Airbus A321XLR planes.

Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced the deal in Wellington, citing rising global tensions.

The fleet of helicopters, the purchase of which was first tipped in May, features anti-submarine torpedo systems, Hellfire air-surface missiles, machine guns, and an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System.

The Defence Force plans to add unmanned drones to its fleet of attack options in the future, they said.

It is a noteworthy step for a country

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