New Delhi, Aug. 21 -- New Zealand 's government announced new military spending Thursday of 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion) to replace aging aircraft, including helicopters it plans to purchase from the United States, senior officials said.

Cabinet ministers unveiling the package cited rapidly growing global tensions and a deteriorating security environment. New Zealand's military spending has trailed that of its larger partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group of countries - which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia - and the bolstered budget reflects a shift in how the remote island nation is responding to strategic competition among major powers in the Pacific Ocean.

"We face the most c...