The Ministry of Defence says it is considering a number of options to replace its fleet of Seasprites, including buying a fleet of helicopters which were part of a deal that the Australian government pulled out of.
The Ministry is looking at replacing its 5 Seasprites with a package of 11 helicopters, a flight simulator and a wide range of spares and support equipment originally intended for the Australian Defence Force.
The Australian government bought the helicopters in 1997 but pulled out of the deal in 2008 costing taxpayers $A1 billion.
The Ministry of Defence has been given Cabinet approval to explore the option of acquiring the helicopters which could cost between $100 to $250 million.