New Zealand has announced that it has signed an agreement with the United States to purchase five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters…
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2030 under a program with NZ$1.648 billion in capital funding.
The MH-60R Seahawk will replace New Zealand’s Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopter fleet.
For anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions, the MH-60R will be armed with Mk 54 lightweight torpedoes, AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, APKWS-guided 70 mm rockets, and M240D machine guns.
The helicopter has a maximum speed of 333 kilometers per hour and a range of 963 kilometers. In utility configuration, it can carry more than 1,500 kilograms of cargo.
Its sensor suite includes a multimode radar, an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, an electronic support measures (ESM) system, a dipping sonar, and sonobuoys for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions…