New Zealand will spend US$1.16 billion on a fleet of Sikorsky submarine-hunting helicopters to bolster its military capabilities, it announced Thursday.

The purchase of five Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters is part of a broader US$1.57 billion (NZ$2.7 billion) spend that also includes two Airbus A321XLR planes.

Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced the deal in Wellington, citing rising global tensions.

The fleet of helicopters, the purchase of which was first tipped in May, features anti-submarine torpedo systems, Hellfire air-surface missiles, machine guns, and an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System.

The Defence Force plans to add unmanned drones to its fleet of attack options in the future, they said.

It is a noteworthy step for a country more recently focused on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions using ageing planes, helicopters and ships plagued by breakdowns and other problems.

"In a world where tensions are rising, distance no longer provides New Zealand the protection it once did," Collins said.

"Defence is not something that can be mothballed until we need it."

Peters said New Zealand faced "the most challenging strategic circumstances in modern history" and "diplomacy is not enough".

Asked who New Zealand's enemies might be, and why the country needed advanced weapons, Peters said he was not attending "a pacifist convention".

"We're talking about defence force. You get what that means? Start being real."

The Airbus A321XLRs will replace Air Force 757s that have been subject to several high-profile breakdowns, leaving the prime minister stranded on international trips.

Collins said the new aircraft should be available for use around 2028.

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