Presidency expects delivery of 6 of the 12 Tucano jets in July

The Presidency has announced the scheduled deleivery of six Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the United States (U.S.) mid-July.

It also noted that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has already sent 14 personnel to Georgia, U.S. for training on how to deploy the jets.

This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, via his Twitter handle, @GarShehu, on Tuesday, April 13.

According to him, another batch of six fighter aircraft would be delivered shortly after the mid-July date of the first batch.

Shehu also posted a short video of the NAF personnel in test flight operations with the combat jets.

Read also: Six Super Tucano jets to arrive Nigeria July –Presidency

He tweeted: “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.

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.

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