According to Chief of Air Staff Marshal Amao, Nigeria anticipates receiving 54 new air assets, including attack helicopters, aircraft, and aerial drones, to improve its capacity to combat national security.
Following a presidential election in February, Nigeria’s next president will have to deal with two of the country’s biggest security threats: a 13-year-old Islamist insurgency in the northeast and kidnappings for ransom by gunmen in the northwest.
According to Amao, President Muhammadu Buhari gave the go-ahead for the delivery of a variety of air assets, including Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones, T-129 ATAK helicopters, Agusta 109 Trekker multi-role helicopters, and M-346 attack aircraft, to the Nigerian Air Force.
He omitted to mention the delivery date, price, or other details. Last year, Nigeria received 12 A-29 Super Tucano planes, four years after the United States agreed to sell the West African country the light attack aircraft to fight insurgents.