By Olayemi Esan
The Nigerian Air Force, Thursday says, the first batch of 6 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft have departed the United States of America on Wednesday, 14 July 2021 en route to Nigeria.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet in a press statement made available to AbujaCityJournal said the 6 aircraft will be leapfrogged through five countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Algeria before arriving at 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 at a later date in August 2021 to be announced in due course", Gabkwet added.
Gabkwet also noted that the Office of the Director of Public Relations and Information remains open to any inquiry regarding the arrival and induction of the aircraft.
AbujaCityJournal reports that Six of the twelve Super Tucanos are on track to arrive in mid-July 2021. With the remaining six shortly after that. There are 14 Nigerian pilots currently training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia this follows the award of a $329 million Foreign Military Sales contract to SNC by the United States government to build 12 A-29s for the Nigerian air force in November 2018.
The armed Super Tucanos are intended for use against terrorist groups, the Boko Haram and Islamic State militants, they have come off the production line in Jacksonville Florida, and they have been equipped and have undergone flight tests.
