NZDF considers retiring Seasprite helicopters

The ship-based helicopters, used by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for maritime patrol, surveillance, and search and rescue (SAR) missions, could be retired as part of a 6.5% cut in costs requested by the New Zealand government.

Air Marshal Kevin Short, in a statement to reporters on 15 February, said that in order to meet the 6.5% cut – equivalent to NZ$150 million (US$91.23 million), the NZDF would be required to divest a capability.

He noted that the Seasprites are “old helicopters, costing us a lot of money”, and that “if we have to push towards that, we would put those aircraft on the ground and get them off the books”.

However, Short also added that while that was a possibility, he did not want to do that because it would negatively affect the capabilities of the NZDF’s ships.

Three of the NDZF’s nine ships are currently idle, with current military estimates reckoning that it will be three years before they are operational again.

Short concluded: “I don’t want to scale that down any further,” but added that the NZDF “needs operating money to keep delivering what the government wants, and to keep delivering them options”. He recommended personnel attrition as a more manageable alternative to delivering the cuts requested by the government.

The New Zealand government recently ordered a fleet of reconnaissance and surveillance drones for use by the country’s army.