The federal government will soon take possession of the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft which have departed the United States of America en route Nigeria.
The fighter jets departed from the US on Wednesday and are expected in Nigeria anytime soon.
The six aircraft will be leapfrogged through five countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving at their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021.
The Federal Government in February 2018 placed an order for 12 Super Tucano aircraft at a cost of $496million.
The fighter jets are expected to boost the operations of the military in its anti-terrorism war against Boko Haram and splinter group, the Islamic State in West Africa Province, in Nigeria’s North-East.
Read also: Security: Six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft leave US for Nigeria
The acquisition of these fighter jets comes shortly after three deadly crashes involving Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft King Air and an Alpha Jet aircraft between February and May 2021; which whipped up questions about the quality of the nation’s military air assets and also created doubts about the capability of Nigerian Air Force pilots.
The full fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft for the NAF are currently in production by SNC and Embraer at the Jacksonville facility with delivery of all fleet to the NAF expected on schedule in 2021.
The A-29 Super Tucano is the gold standard for light attack, combat and reconnaissance aircraft. Built in the U.S. by Sierra Nevada Corporation and its partner, Embraer Defense & Security, the A-29 has been selected by 15 Air Forces worldwide including Afghanistan and Lebanon.
The A-29 is a versatile and powerful turboprop aircraft and is known for its rugged and durable design, which allows it to perform operations from unimproved runways and at forward operating bases in austere environments and rugged terrain. The A-29 is the only light attack aircraft in the world with a U.S. Air Force Military Type Certificate.
This aircraft has a strengthened airframe to sustain higher loads and increase fatigue life to 8,000–12,000 hours in operational environments; a reinforced landing gear to handle greater take-off weights and heavier stores load, up to 1,550 kilograms (3,420 lb); Kevlar armour protection; two internal, wing-mounted .50 cal and machine guns (with 200 rounds of ammunition each).
The aircraft has capacity to carry various ordnances on five weapon hard points including Giat NC621 20 mm cannon pods, Mk 81/82 bombs, MAA-1 Piranha air-to-air missiles (AAMs), BLG-252 cluster bombs, and SBAT-70/19 or LAU-68A/G rocket pods on its under wing stations.
The aircraft has a night-vision goggle-compatible ‘glass cockpit’ with hands-on-throttle-and-stick controls; provision for a datalink; a video camera and recorder; an embedded mission-planning capability; forward-looking infrared; chaff/flare dispensers; missile approach warning receiver systems and radar warning receivers; and zero-zero ejection seats.
The structure is corrosion-protected and the side-hinged canopy has a windshield able to withstand bird strike impacts up to 270 kn (500 km/h; 310 mph.
The manufactures of the A-29, Embraer Defense & Security is the leading aerospace and defense industry in Latin America.
In addition to the A-29 Super Tucano light attack and advanced trainer and the multi-mission C-390 Millennium military airlift, it provides a full line of integrated solutions and applications such as Command and Control Center (C4I), radars, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) and space.
This also includes integrated systems for information, communications, border monitoring and surveillance as well as aircraft for authorities’ transportation and special missions. With a growing presence on the global market, Embraer Defense & Security products and solutions are present in more than 60 countries.
