Nigerian authorities have finally taken the delivery of the first batch of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.
Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet in a statement Thursday evening said the state of the art fighter jets arrived in Kano, today 22 July 2021 at about 12.34 pm.
The statement added that top government functionaries and Service Chiefs received the modern platforms from the manufacturer.
“On hand to receive the aircraft were the 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 concluded.
Recall that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on 15, July 2021, in a statement announced that the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft departed the United States of America on Wednesday, 14 July 2021 enroute Nigeria.
The six aircraft the service said will be leapfrogged through five countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021.
It also disclosed that 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.
The statement further said the Office of the Director of Public Relations and Information remains open to any inquiry regarding the arrival and induction of the aircraft.
The second batch of the remaining six aircraft brand would be delivered towards the end of the year.
Military experts believe that the arrival of the six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft would change the paradigm in the war against insurgency and anti banditry operations.
“With the delivery of the modern aircraft to government today, there is end in sight in the over one decade war against insurgency and terrorism,” they said.
Culled from the Pilot News Nigeria
