Former Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters last August unveiled the plans to purchase five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the existing maritime fleet.
The nearly 20-metre Seahawks require three crew, can reach speeds up to 333km/h, fly up to 963km and can carry up to 1500kg. They are armed with an Mk54 anti-submarine torpedo, AGM-114 Hellfire air-surface missiles, crew-served machine guns and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems.
Collins said at the time they would "ensure New Zealand has a critical combat capable, interoperable and dependable fleet", with the Seahawks being versatile and adding combat and deterrent capability.
"The MH-60R Seahawk is a great aircraft for what New Zealand needs and fulfils our objective of having a more integrated Anzac force."
The Seahawks were "by far the best option", were already used by Australia, the United States and seven other countries, and would increase "lethality and defensive capability" of the Navy, she said.
"In a world where tensions are rising, distance no longer provides New Zealand the protection it once did, and defence is not something that can be mothballed until you need it."
"The US Department of State has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of New Zealand for MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters and related equipment," the department said in a statement on its website on Friday.
The US under President Donald Trump has been pushing allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific to boost military spending. New Zealand, a close ally of neighbouring Australia, is increasingly deploying across East Asia in support of Western militaries and their partners amid China's rapid military rise.
The purchase of the Seahawk helicopters, made by Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky unit, is part of a 2025 plan by the National-led government to boost defence spending by NZ$9 billion over four years and nearly double spending to 2% of gross domestic product in eight years.
Wellington allocated NZ$1.58 billion last month in new defence funding as it upgrades the island nation's forces.
"The proposed sale will improve New Zealand’s capability to meet current and future warfare threats by providing greater security for its critical infrastructure," the State Department said, adding that New Zealand would "use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense".
The State Department said in a separate statement that it had approved a US$69 million (NZ$119m) sale of MK 54 torpedoes to New Zealand.
The State Department has notified Congress about the proposed sales, which still need to be approved by lawmakers.
- Additional reporting RNZ
