U.S., Turkey To Supply 18 Attack Helicopters To Nigeria – Abubakar

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has disclosed that the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) will soon take delivery of 18 attack helicopters to boost its fleet of aircraft.

Abubakar said this on Wednesday at a one-day tour of formations and units under the NAF 115 Special Operations Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The Air Staff Chief said that the United States would supply 12 attack helicopters while another six helicopters would be provided by the Turkish government in September.

He said: “We are not deterred by recent developments as the Federal Government has approved the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra and six T129 Helicopters from the United States and Turkey, respectively.

“The first two T129 helicopters are scheduled to come into operation by September, to enhance our operational capabilities.

“So, yes, we are saddened by the recent loss of our aeroplane (MI 171 helicopter), but then, we have a lot more (aircraft) coming in, and our capabilities are increasing.”

Abubakar said he visited the state to commiserate with families of the NAF pilots and crew that died in the ill-fated helicopter crash in Niger on Aug. 14.

He added: “So, we came here to express our deepest condolences to the immediate family members of the crew that we lost.

“The 115 special operations group is the home base for the aeroplane and all the crew that were onboard the unfortunate crash of our MI-171 helicopter.

“Aside from this, we are also here to interact with the officers and men of the unit to encourage and assure them of our support in Operation Delta Safe.”