The first batch of the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft have arrived Kano, today 22 July 2021 from the United States.
The A-29 Super Tucanos came in two different color scheme; Woodland camouflage and Desert brown camouflage.
The six aircraft travelled through five countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021.
“On hand to receive the aircraft were the Honourable 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,” a statement signed by NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, noted.
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 and will be announced in due course.
The A-29 Super Tucano is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano.
The A-29 alongside the newly delivered JF-17 Thunder multirole figher will form the core of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) offensive aerial component, particularly as part of the ongoing joint counterterrorism operation.
In November 2018, SNC was awarded a $329 million Foreign Military Sales contract from the US government to build 12 A-29 Super Tucanos for the Nigerian Air Force.
Last year, the first Nigerian Air Force A-29 Super Tucano light-attack turboprops conducted its maiden flight at the Florida production facility on 17 April.
To know more about the Super Tucano, read this well detailed article.