Nigerian Air Force receives first batch of Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.

According to ChannelsTV, The aircraft arrived in Kano State on Thursday 22 July afternoon, the Nigerian Air Force said: “On hand to receive the aircraft were the Honourable 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,” a statement signed by NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, noted. Gabkwet said the second batch of the A-29 Super Tucano is expected to arrive in the country before the end of the year.

Follow Air Recognition on Google News at this link

A-29 Super Tucano inspected after delivery to the Nigerian Air Force (Picture Source : ChannelsTV)

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, had some months back hinted that the West African nation was expecting the fighter planes from the US as the country steps up efforts to combat insecurity. “About three years ago, the federal government and the United States signed a pact that resulted in a government to government acquisition of military equipment out of which we are expecting twelve Tucano aircraft or fighter planes that will help combat insecurity,” the apex bank boss explained during a two-day Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja where he also expressed optimism that Nigeria will overcome its security challenges.

Former US President, Donald Trump had confirmed the sales of the fighter planes to Nigeria during a 2018 meeting with his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari: “We are helping our Nigerian partners by facilitating intelligence, cooperation, and providing training and military equipment to Nigerian forces,” Trump had said after bilateral talks in the White House. “For example, we recently sold Nigeria 12 US A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, great aircraft, in the first-ever sale of American military equipment to Nigeria.

The Nigerian Air Force has already started training personnel to handle the new Tucano: “On the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, the CAS stated that about 60 NAF personnel, comprising pilots, engineers, technicians, and other specialists, have completed their training on the aircraft in the USA,” Gabkwet said following the winging ceremony of six new helicopter pilots who recently completed their basic flying training at Draken Helicopter Academy in the United Kingdom.

Embraer EMB 314/A-29 Super Tucano (Picture Source : ChannelsTV)

The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano. The A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions, and was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments. In addition to its manufacture in Brazil, Embraer has set up a production line in the United States in conjunction with Sierra Nevada Corporation for the manufacture of A-29s to export customers.