iscover
The New Zealand government has announced it has sold five soon-to-be-retired RNZN SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters to Peru.
The aircraft were new-build machines which entered service with 3SQN in 2001 and 2003, and which are now in the process of being replaced by 10 SH-2G(I) Super Seasprites which were part of a former Australian order, the project for which was cancelled in March 2008.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
New Zealand previously operated four ex-USN SH-2F Seasprites in an interim capacity from 1997 to 2001, and also has six SH-2F airframes on strength for maintenance instruction.
“Our recent purchase of eight new, more sophisticated Seasprite helicopters meant the older model Seasprites were available for sale and a deal has been struck with the Peruvian Government for them to buy them for their Navy,” Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said in a statement.
The sale of the five machines as well as a spares package and some AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles to Peru has been valued at NZ$30m (A$28.5m). Export approval was required from the US government, and the sale was brokered by a Canadian government agency.
The first of the ex-RAN machines, eight of which will be used operationally and the remainder as a source of spares, is expected to arrive in New Zealand in January.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.
Richard
says:How much did the NZ Government pay for them?
Andrew McLaughlin
says:The new (ex-Oz) ones? It’s been reported as NZ$120m.
Jeff Atkinson
says:Why whenever the Zealand government wants to sell old or retired aircraft to another country, Does it have to get the American governments approval.I can understand if the equipment is made by them.Its not as though the Peruvian” are going to attack them with the aircraft.Even the NZ sky hawks couldn’t be sold to some other country either..
Alan
says:And what did Oz originally agree to buy them for and how much did it cost us to get out of the deal?
Joshua Wulf
says:Jeff, the US export approval could be due to the Maverick AGMs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-65_Maverick#Export.