JUST IN: Nigeria receives six Super Tucano aircraft

The Nigerian Air Force has taken delivery of the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from the United States.
Edward Gabkwet, the director of public relations and information, NAF headquarters, announced this in a statement in Abuja.

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.
According to a report on the webpage of Airforce Technology, an Air Force news site covering developments in air defence technology and related issues, “currently, the aircraft has been chosen by 15 airforces worldwide.
In April last year, Embraer and SNC announced the completion of the inaugural flight of the first of 12 A-29 aircraft.
The full fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft is being manufactured by SNC and Embraer at the Jacksonville facility in Florida, USA.

The presidency had boasted that terrorists ravaging Borno State and other parts of the country would be dealt a massive blow with the expected arrival of six Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the United States in July.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said another batch of six fighter aircraft would be delivered shortly after the mid-July date of the first batch.
He also posted a short video of the NAF personnel in test flight operations with the combat jets.
He twitted: “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.”
SNC and Embraer Defense & Security received a contract from NAF 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.