Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
The United States has delivered the first six American Sierra Nevada Corporation/Embraer Defense and Security A-29 “Super Tucano” light attack aircraft to Nigeria.
The Super Tucano is a dual-pilot turboprop aircraft built as a workhorse combat air platform, equipped for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and for precision air-to-ground strike missions. The next six aircraft are scheduled for delivery later this year.
The Super Tucano platform for Nigeria is the United States’ largest Foreign Military Sales program in Sub-Saharan Africa, valued at almost $500 million.
The program follows the Department of Defense’s “Total Package Approach” model and includes spare parts for several years of operation, contract logistics support, munitions, and a multi-year construction project to improve Kainji’s infrastructure.
In a statement, the United States Mission to Nigeria said the aircraft “represent an historic level of cooperation achieved between the U.S. and Nigerian militaries.”
“Through this program, the U.S. Air Force’s 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, trained Nigerian pilots and maintenance crews to U.S. standards,” the U.S. Mission said, adding that training also emphasizes the Law of Armed Conflict and Civilian Casualty Mitigation, which are fundamental principles of the Nigerian military’s professional education and training.
“With the A-29 Super Tucano purchase, the Nigerian Air Force also has become a founding member of the U.S. Air Force’s “Combined Light Attack Experiment,” which is developing Light Attack global best-practice tactics and doctrine for the 21st century,” the U.S. Mission’s statement added.
The Mission added that the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard had welcomed the pilots and aircraft to Massachusetts on the first leg of their trans-Atlantic flight.
Chargé d’Affaires Kathleen FitzGibbon joined Air Marshal Oladayo Isiaka Amao, the Nigerian Chief of Air Staff and his leadership team, including: Air Vice Marshal Jackson Andrew Yusuf, Air Officer Commanding of Air Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Pam Chollom, Chief of Logistics, and Air Vice Marshal Precious Amadi, Base Commander, Nigerian Air Force Base, Kainji to inspect the new aircraft.
“Beyond the new hardware that you see on this runway, this program has brought our two militaries closer in formal training, professional development, air base construction, logistics planning, and negotiations. We are proud to partner with Nigeria in its ‘whole of government’ approach to end violent extremism and ensure a more stable, prosperous country for all Nigerians,” noted Chargé d’Affaires FitzGibbon.