The Royal New Zealand Navy has sold five of its aging Seasprite helicopters to Peru for 30 million NZ dollars (23.36 million US dollars), New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said Friday.

"Our recent purchase of eight new, more sophisticated Seasprite helicopters meant the older model Seasprites were available for sale and a deal has been struck with the Peruvian government for them to buy them for their navy," Brownlee said in a statement.

Spare parts and the Maverick missiles that were used with the helicopters were included in the deal.

Brownlee said New Zealand had worked closely with the Canadian government's Canadian Commercial Corporation, which acted as agent for the Peruvian government, and the US government, which had to approve the export of the US manufactured helicopters and missiles.