Talk of the entire NZDF maritime helicopter fleet being grounded appears to be incorrect according to flight data released to me under the Official Information Act.

However, it does appear that one aircraft has been converted to parts. I base that on the fact that New Zealand's original purchase of SH-2G(I) helicopters in April 2013 was announced as follows (Hon Jonathan Coleman was Minister of Defence):

A total of eight Seasprites (plus two spare airframes) will be purchased  from the United States company Kaman Aerospace in a $242 million dollar  deal, which includes a training simulator, missiles, and additional  components.

The data provided for each month of the last two years is for seven aircraft (see attachments).

In the last two years, the seven Seasprites have collectively done 1,494.3 flying hours averaging 62.3 hours per month. By tail number, the range of total flying hours is between 137 and 297.3 hours in the two year period. Airframe monthly averages range from 5.7 to 12.4 hours.

The data shows that, in most months, at least three of the fleet have been airworthy.

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By comparison, the NH90 fleet of 8 helicopters flew 3460.6 hours averaging 144.2 hours per month - more than twice that of the Seasprite fleet. Individual airframe monthly averages ranged from 15.7 - 20 hours.

The A109 fleet of 5 helicopters flew 1724.7 hours in the period averaging 71.9 hours per month. Individual airframe monthly averages ranged from 9.6 to 16.7 hours.

As can be seen, the usage of NH90 and A109 helicopters is substantially higher than that of the SH-2G(I) fleet. However, whether that is to do with lowered operational need or lack of parts, crew and maintenance teams requires further investigation. I suspect it is a combination of all these factors.

The maritime helicopter replacement need has been discussed for many years. DCP2019 projected nine new helicopters for entry into service in 2027. That requires a request for tender by 2024. It seems to be moving with glacial speed. The Ministry of Defence scheduled an Opportunities Workshop for potential providers 8/9 November 2021.

An RFI was issued on 24 April this year. A copy of the RFI taken from the GETS website is attached. It closes on either 21 June or 12 July depending on which part of the page you read.

Other defence related blogs mention that the Seasprite  can't be safely maintained in service beyond the end of this year because of no OEM support beyond that time. Some refer to a RN team already visiting NZ.

In summary, I think that there is a problem with the operation of the maritime helicopter fleet. If not, there would be no open mention of potentially "borrowing" maritime helo (Wildcat?) from the UK to bridge the acquisition gap. The maritime aviation environment is harsh and aircraft don't last as long as their land-based equivalents. More maintenance is required. A strong indicator of a capability gap will be the sending of NZ crews for training in the UK.

I will be tracking this topic.

• UNCLAS Simon Ewing-Jarvie OIA-2023-4738_RNZAF A109 Flying Hours by Month.xlsx
• UNCLAS Simon Ewing-Jarvie OIA-2023-4738_RNZAF NH90 Flying Hours by Month.xlsx
• OIA-2023-4738_Signed-Response - Rotary Wing Flying Hours by Month.pdf
• UNCLAS Simon Ewing-Jarvie OIA-2023-4738_RNZAF SH-2G Flying Hours by Month.xlsx