New Zealand is keen to buy the spare parts that will become available from the sale of Australia's cancelled Kaman Aerospace SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite helicopters.
Australia ordered 11 refurbished Seasprites in 1997 for entry into service in 2001, but problems with the type's avionics delayed the programme by seven years, before finally prompting Canberra to cancel the programme last month, despite having spent A$950 million ($868 million).
It agreed with Kaman to put the helicopters and their spares on sale, with Australia to receive at least A$40 million in return.
New Zealand is not keen on the helicopters themselves, but wants to buy the spares for its fleet of five Kaman SH-2Gs that were bought earlier this decade.
"We are not interested in the aircraft - they are completely different from those we operate," says the New Zealand defence ministry. "But we're certainly interested in the spares, particularly the composite rotor blades. We'll begin discussions on this very soon."
The initiative ties in with New Zealand's plans to refurbish its air force inventory. The nation ordered five AgustaWestland A109s last year for its training and light utility helicopter requirements, and in 2005 ordered eight NH Industries NH90 multirole helicopters.
But it confirmed recently that problems had cropped up during a NZ$700 million ($562 million) package of upgrades to its Boeing 757-200 and Lockheed Martin C-130H transports, and Lockeed P-3K surveillance aircraft, with some of these aircraft to return to service up to nine months later than expected.
Wellington does not have a strike capability after the government cancelled the purchase of Lockheed F-16s in 2001, and later retired its McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks and Aermacchi MB339s.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
