Senior Nigerian Air Force (NAF) officers, along with defence and finance ministries representatives, were in Italy recently finalising acquisition of 24 M-346 fighter ground attack (FGA) jets and 10 AW109 helicopters.
The AW109 Trekker helicopters will boost the NAF rotary-wing fleet of this type to 10 from manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A. (Società per azioni, an Italian form of corporation).
The Nigerian team, led by Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, inspected the first batch of six M-346s, with three nearing completion, as well as evaluating the key support systems necessary for NAF operational readiness.
The programme management review meeting saw the Nigerians updated on delivery schedules with the first three aircraft expected to be delivered early next year. Subsequent deliveries will run through to mid-2026. Helicopter deliveries are expected in the first part of the same year. Abubakar envisages a programme management office in Nigeria for smooth project implementation as well as a maintenance hub for long term support of the M-346s.
Part of the visit saw an aerial display by the Leonardo Aircraft Division to showcase M-346 performance and highlight its features.
Capable of both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, the M-346 will significantly strengthen Nigeria’s air combat capabilities, according to an NAF statement. The AW109s will boost combat support roles such as search and rescue (SAR), tactical airlift and medical evacuation (Medevac) among others.
The M-346 and AW109 acquisitions are key steps toward fleet renewal, in keeping with the CAS command philosophy to transform the NAF for greater agility and resilience, with emphasis on the optimisation of force structure and establishment for enhanced operational effectiveness.
The Nigerian Air Force has already taken delivery of two AW109 Trekker helicopters from Leonardo. They (NAF 545 and NAF 544) was seen for the first time in June at Caverton’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility.