Brazil’s aircraft maker Embraer said Wednesday it has finalized a contract to sell 12 light attack aircraft to Nigeria’s air force, to boost the military’s capacity in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast. Embraer’s military aircraft division said in a statement it and a partner firm making electronic systems, Sierra Nevada Corporation of the United States, had sealed the order from Nigeria for the A-29 Super Tucano planes, which are to be made in the US.
The Embraer statement did not put a value on the sale, but a specialist website, defenceWeb, said the deal was worth $329 million. It said associated weaponry, including guided bombs and rockets, might be acquired under separate contracts.
The contract had been mooted for some time but was reportedly stalled by lack of US authorization. The turboprop Super Tucano is already used in Brazil, for border patrols, and in a dozen other air forces including in Afghanistan, Colombia and Indonesia.
“The aircraft are expected to be delivered to Nigeria in line with the contract timelines, as part of a larger more comprehensive training and support package,” it said. “The contract for the Nigerian Air Force includes ground training devices, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment, alternate mission equipment, contiguous US interim contractor support” as well as logistic support, it said.
Nigeria’s military is engaged in a decade-long campaign against Boko Haram, which has in recent months been stepping up attacks on military targets. The conflict has killed more than 27,000 people and displaced almost two million others in Nigeria’s northeast. It has spilled into neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis in the region.
 |
|
