Nigerian Air Force receives final batch of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft


The last six of 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft destined for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) arrived in Kano on 29 September.

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Nigerian Air Force receives final batch of A 29 Super Tucano aircraft

US made A-29 Super Tucano (Picture source: US Embassy in Nigeria)


A first batch of 6 aircraft already arrived in July and were officially inducted into Nigerian Air Force on August 31. This 6 new Tucano marks the end of deliveries. The six aircraft, flown by American pilots, were accompanied by a Dornier 328 support aircraft provided by manufacturer Sierra Nevada Corporation.

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. The A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions, and was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments. In addition to its manufacture in Brazil, Embraer has set up a production line in the United States in conjunction with Sierra Nevada Corporation for the manufacture of A-29s to export customers.

Nigeria purchased the A-29s through the Foreign Military Sales program, which follows the Department of Defense’s “Total Package Approach” model and includes spare parts for several years of operation, contract logistics support, munitions, and a multi-year construction project to improve Kainji Air Base infrastructure. The total sale is valued at almost $500 million, making it the largest FMS program in sub-Saharan Africa.