BY FOLASHADE KEHINDE
SIX of the 12 Super Tucano light attack aircraft acquired by the Federal Government to aid the war against insurgency are expected to arrive from the United States, mid-July, Presidency has confirmed.
The Federal Government is also expecting another batch of six fighter aircraft shortly after the first delivery, mid-July.
This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, on his Twitter handle on Tuesday.
Shehu, who posted a short video of Air Force personnel in test flight operations with the combat jets, noted that there were 14 Nigerian pilots currently training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
“Test flight operations for @NigAirForce newly acquired Super Tucano combat aircraft.
“Six of the 12 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,” he tweeted.
Recall that NAF engaged SNC and Embraer Defence and Security in December 2018 to deliver the 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft.
The contract included ground training devices, mission planning systems, ground equipment, spares, and other related support.
The A-29 Super Tucano will support flight and combat training, close air support operations, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), armed over-watch, counterinsurgency and irregular warfare scenarios.
