By People & Polity
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is expecting delivery of new fighter aircraft from both the United States and Italy respectively in order to intensify it’s aerial campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast of Nigeria.
The aircraft being expected are 12 Super Tucano, which the United States said would not be ready until 2023 and 6 Augusta 109 Power Helicopter gunship from Italy. The Air Force chief did not state the date of delivery of the latter.
Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Saddique Abubakar broke the news about the new aircraft while inaugurating Modular Theatre at the 465 Nigeria Air Force Hospital in Kano on Saturday. There was also some vagueness about the delivery date of the super Tucano, when NAF officials met with the officials of the United States Department of Defense (USDOD) in Abuja.
Brig-Gen Sean Farrell, the Director of United States Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation (AFSAC) Directorate, promised the Nigerian Air Force of on-schedule delivery of the 12 units of A-29 super Tucano aircraft, which were paid for by the Federal Government in April.