The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will next week Tuesday formally induct the newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano aircraft into its Order of Battle.
According to a statement from Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet on Tuesday said that the induction “ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 31 August 2021 at the 011 Presidential Air Fleet Apron, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by 10.00am.
“Expectedly, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, will preside over the induction ceremony as the Special Guest of Honour.
“As part of programmes lined up for the induction ceremony, a symbolic flypast will be performed by some of the newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano aircraft within the vicinity of the induction ceremony.”
The first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft arrived Kano, Nigeria on 22 July 2021.
The aircraft were received on arrival by the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), alongside the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao.
The second batch of the remaining 6 A-29 Super Tucanos are expected in Nigeria before the end of 2021.
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano.
In July 2012, Embraer and Boeing signed a cooperation agreement to add new weapons integration capacity on the A-29 Super Tucano to satisfy the requirements of the US Air Force LAS programme.
Savis, Bradar and Rockwell Collins entered into an agreement with Embraer to improve the defence applications of the aircraft in April 2017. The radar technology would be integrated into the Rockwell Collins FireStorm™ system to improve fire precision of the aircraft.
