The Presidency, on Thursday, said six of the 12 Super Tucano fighter aircraft earlier ordered by the Federal Government will arrive in the country by July 2021.
The Spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, announced this in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria’s Super Tucanos To Arrive Mid-July 2021’.
It read, “Six of the twelve Super Tucanos are on track to arrive in mid-July 2021. With the remaining six shortly after that. There are 14 Nigerian pilots currently training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
“The Super Tucanos came off the production line in Jacksonville Florida and are now being equipped and flight tested. Nigerian pilots and maintenance personnel are training on these planes. Currently, the construction is ongoing, which will house the aircraft.
“The Air-Ground-Integration school is the training hub on targeting and minimization of civilian casualties.”
The Federal Government in February, 2018 placed an order for 12 Super Tucano aircraft at a cost of $496million. Several delivery dates have been announced for the aircraft but the fighter jets have not been delivered.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.), alleged that $1bn funds meant to purchase arms including the Super Tucanos to tackle insurgency during the ex-service chiefs’ tenure got missing.
This comes over a month after the ex-service chiefs’ resignation and replacement by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).