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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Eva Corlett in Wellington and agencies

New Zealand to spend $3bn upgrading helicopters and ‘embarrassing’ defence planes

New Zealand Collins Airbus Christopher Luxon Boeing
An MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopter in Florida in 2014
An MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopter in Florida in 2014. New Zealand’s defence minister says it will buy five of the helicopters as well as two Airbus planes to upgrade its ageing defence fleet. Photograph: Lcdr Stephan Immerz/PR IMAGE

New Zealand will spend nearly NZ$3bn ($1.7bn) upgrading its ageing defence fleet, including replacing its “embarrassing” planes that have left multiple prime ministers grounded during international travel, the government has announced.

The defence minister, Judith Collins, said NZ$2bn would be spent buying five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and another NZ$700m to buy two Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

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