The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is getting more Trekker fighter jets by 2026. This news comes from the Air Force Public Relations officer.
The big boss of the Air Force, Chief of Air Staff Hasan Abubakar, took some important people to Italy. They went to Leonardo S.p.A., a big airplane company, to talk about getting new fighter jets and helicopters.
The team, which had people from both Defence and Finance Ministries, agreed to buy 24 M-346 Fighter Ground Attack (FGA) jets and 10 more AW-109 Trekker helicopters.
On Sunday, in Abuja, Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, who speaks for the Air Force, shared this information.
Air Commodore Olusola mentioned that NAF has already bought two AW-109 Trekker helicopters.
He also talked about how Chief Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar went to see Leonardo’s main office in Rome. There, he met with important company leaders to make sure they work together for a long time.
Abubakar got to see the first six M-346 jets being built. He checked out three of them that are almost ready and looked at systems that will help make NAF stronger.
He said, “In the meeting, we learned that the first three of 24 M-346 planes for Nigeria will come by early 2025. The rest will arrive by mid-2026.”
“Also, since we already have two Trekkers, the other 10 should be here by early 2026.”
“The Chief suggested setting up a special office to make sure everything goes smoothly with the project.”
“He also talked about building a maintenance center in Nigeria to keep the M-346 planes in good shape for a long time,”
During the visit, the company’s Aircraft Division showed off what the M-346 can do. They explained that the M-346 is designed to fight in the sky and on the ground, making Nigeria’s Air Force much stronger.
They also mentioned that the AW-109 helicopters will help with lots of support roles, like searching and saving people, moving things around, and helping sick or hurt people.
The new jets and helicopters are important for updating NAF’s equipment. This change is part of a big plan to make the Air Force quicker and stronger, better suited to handle tough situations.
Security in Nigeria and Defense Spending
- The Nigerian government has spent a lot of money on defense and security recently to fight different threats. For 2024, they have put aside N3.3 trillion for defense.
- In the Northeast, Boko Haram has been a problem, but they’ve become weaker in the last ten years.
- In the Northwest, bandits are a big issue, especially in states like Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina. This is making farming hard to do.
- In the South, kidnapping and groups who want to break away from Nigeria are hurting businesses. In the Niger Delta, oil production is going down because of stealing.