Insurgency War: July Delivery Date For Six Super Tucano Excites Presidency
With Nigeria still counting huge losses in the insurgency fight, the Presidency is excited about improved weaponry in its passion to confront the enemies of state
And July 2021 delivery date of six Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the United States (U.S.) is bringing hope and confidence to the Federal government and the fighting troops in the theatre of war.
In preparation for the boost of its armoury, 14 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel are already in Georgia, U.S. training on how to deploy the jets when they finally arrive the Nigerian shores.
Capturing the Presidency’s excitement on his Twitter handle, @GarShehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, also disclosed that another batch of six fighter aircraft would be delivered shortly after the mid-July date of the first consignment.
The Presidential spokesman, who also posted a short video of the NAF personnel in test flight operations with the combat jets; tweeted; “Test flight operations for @NigAirForce newly acquired Super Tucano combat aircraft.”
According to him; “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”, Garba said
In December 2018, Embraer Defense & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) was contracted by NAF to deliver the 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to boost its armoury and combat readiness.
The contract terms cover ground training devices; mission planning systems; ground equipment; spares; and other related support. The A-29 Super Tucano is expected to 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.”
Embraer and SNC, which is a leading aerospace and defense industry in Latin America, had in April 2020, announced the completion of the inaugural flight of its first 12 A-29 aircrafts.
Besides the A-29 Super Tucano light attack and advanced trainer and the multi-mission C-390 Millennium military airlift, which it manufactures at the Jacksonville facility in Florida, U.S, Embraer and SNC provides a full line of integrated solutions and applications such as Command and Control Center (C4I), radars, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) and space.
Other services include integrated systems for information, communications, border monitoring and surveillance as well as aircraft for authorities’ transportation and special missions.
With its growing presence on the global market, Embraer Defense & Security products and solutions are currently available in more than 60 countries across the globe. – With the Nation reports
