07:30 AM EDT, 08/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- New Zealand is set to acquire five Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for 2 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.17 billion) as part of a plan to replace aging military aircraft, Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a joint statement Thursday.

The country is also spending NZ$700 million to acquire two Airbus A321XLR long-range planes to replace its Boeing ( BA ) 757s, the officials said.

The Seahawks, acquired through the US Foreign Military Sales program, will "ensure we are interoperable with our ally Australia and other partner defence forces," Collins said.