By Iliya Kure
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that the first batch of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft have arrived Kano.
The Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force Air, Commodore Edward Gabkwet disclosed this in a statement to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
On hand to receive the aircraft were Nigeria’s “Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao,” the statement says.
The first batch of 6 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft departed the United States of America on Wednesday, 14 July 2021 enroute Nigeria.
An earlier NAF statement said, the 6 aircraft will be leapfrogged through 5 countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021.
An official induction ceremony of the aircraft into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force is already being planned to hold at a later date in August.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao had in June, during a Passing Out
Parade (POP) of 1,031 trainees at the Military Training Centre (MTC), NAF Base, Kaduna,
disclosed that the NAF was expecting 8 aircraft in July 2021, comprising 6 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from the United States of America and 2 Wing Loong Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) from China.
The remaining 6 A-29 Super Tucano, he said, would arrive in September while 2 CH-3 and 4 CH-4 UCAV would arrive the country before the end of 2021.
These additional aircraft, he said, would no doubt boost air power employment capabilities in support of joint operations and would be a game changer in various theatre of operations.
President Muhammadu Buhari has in April 2018 placed an order for the aircraft, after holding an extensive discussion with the U.S. government,
According to Buhari the aircraft would help strengthen Nigeria’s national security, and the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
In a letter he wrote to the National Assembly, the Mr. Buhari said the government had transferred $469.4 million to the U.S. government for the purchase.
