Nigerian air force expands fleet with 34 Italian jets, helicopters
By Camillus Eboh
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's air force is acquiring 24 Italian-made M-346 attack jets and ten AW-109 Trekker helicopters as part of a fleet renewal strategy, a spokesperson said on Monday.
Air Force spokesperson Olusola Akinboyewa said in a statement that a team led by Nigeria's Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar met with executives from Italy's Leonardo S.p.A., the manufacturer, in Rome who confirmed the first three M-346 aircraft were expected to be delivered by early 2025, with subsequent deliveries running until mid-2026.
The Trekker helicopters are expected by early 2026, Akinboyewa said.
"The M-346 and Trekker acquisitions are key steps towards fleet renewal," Abubakar was cited as saying, emphasizing the need for a maintenance hub in Nigeria to provide long-term support, particularly for the M-346 fleet.
Nigeria has ramped up military spending in recent years as it struggles to contain attacks by armed bandits in the northwest and a 15-year Islamist insurgency against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast.
In June, Nigeria took delivery of two "Huey" helicopters, in addition to two Trekkers it already acquired and 12 American-made A-29 Super Tucano light attack jets it received in 2021 to fight insurgents.
It has pending deliveries for Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones.
(This story has been refiled to fix spacing in paragraph 7)
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
