NAF to acquire $593m US aircraft February

The Nigerian Air Force has said “necessary payments” will be
made to take delivery of the United States’ A-29 Super Tucano
Aircraft by February 2018.

NAF, which disclosed this on Wednesday, said it had received
Letters of Offer and Acceptance from the United States of America
through its Ambassador, Mr. Stuart Symington.

It said the LOA was presented to the Chief of Air Staff, Air
Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Wednesday at the NAF Headquarters in
Abuja.

The US State Department had on August 3, 2017 approved the sale
of 12 A-29 Tucano attack planes to Nigeria with its parts and
weapons.

The US Defence Security Corperation Agency delivered its
certification of the sale to the Congress, which then approved the
production of the aircraft for Nigeria.

The aircraft, equipped with wing-mounted machine guns, weapons
integration advanced surveillance and precision-guided bombs are
expected to be used to combat the Boko Haram terrorists in the
North-East.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice
Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, said on Wednesday the payments for the
aircraft were expected before February 20, 2018.

He said, “In that regard, the US officials and the NAF will be
meeting in January 2018 to jointly study the LOA prior to
subsequent endorsements by both parties.

“It is expected that the LOA would have been signed and
necessary payments made before 20 February, 2018 to ensure the
commencement of production of the NAF’s Super Tucano Aircraft. The
US had earlier approved the sale of the aircraft to NAF to further
aid the nation’s counter-insurgency campaign.”

The US ambassador said peace in Nigeria was strategic to the
security of the West African sub-region, noting that the US was
committed to helping Nigeria to defeat the Boko Haram
terrorists.

“The US government will continue to support NAF in its
capacity-building efforts, including the timely supply of needed
aircraft spares. The relevant US government officials are ready to
work with NAF officials to facilitate the early delivery of the
aircraft,” Symington said.

The Nigerian Air Force has said “necessary payments” will be
made to take delivery of the United States’ A-29 Super Tucano
Aircraft by February 2018.

NAF, which disclosed this on Wednesday, said it had received
Letters of Offer and Acceptance from the United States of America
through its Ambassador, Mr. Stuart Symington.

It said the LOA was presented to the Chief of Air Staff, Air
Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Wednesday at the NAF Headquarters in
Abuja.

The US State Department had on August 3, 2017 approved the sale
of 12 A-29 Tucano attack planes to Nigeria with its parts and
weapons.

The US Defence Security Corperation Agency delivered its
certification of the sale to the Congress, which then approved the
production of the aircraft for Nigeria.

The aircraft, equipped with wing-mounted machine guns, weapons
integration advanced surveillance and precision-guided bombs are
expected to be used to combat the Boko Haram terrorists in the
North-East.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice
Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, said on Wednesday the payments for the
aircraft were expected before February 20, 2018.

He said, “In that regard, the US officials and the NAF will be
meeting in January 2018 to jointly study the LOA prior to
subsequent endorsements by both parties.

“It is expected that the LOA would have been signed and
necessary payments made before 20 February, 2018 to ensure the
commencement of production of the NAF’s Super Tucano Aircraft. The
US had earlier approved the sale of the aircraft to NAF to further
aid the nation’s counter-insurgency campaign.”

The US ambassador said peace in Nigeria was strategic to the
security of the West African sub-region, noting that the US was
committed to helping Nigeria to defeat the Boko Haram
terrorists.

“The US government will continue to support NAF in its
capacity-building efforts, including the timely supply of needed
aircraft spares. The relevant US government officials are ready to
work with NAF officials to facilitate the early delivery of the
aircraft,” Symington said.