By 
Nigeria, in the last decade, has been heavily investing in the procurement of high-tech military equipment, especially aircraft and warships.
Owing to the upsurge of insurgency, banditry, and other criminal vices, Nigeria, under the six years leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, has given the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) its biggest upgrade.
Since Buhari assumed office in 2015, the Nigerian military has taken delivery of a total of thirty-two (32) brand new aircraft, with the latest being the 6 X A-29 Super Tucanos – the first batch of a total of 12 – that arrived on Thursday, July 22, 2021.
Among aircraft the Buhari-led administration has acquired since assuming office include:
– 10 x Super Mushshak aircraft
– 5 x Mi-35M Helicopter Gunships
– 2 x Bell 412 Helicopters
– 4 x Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter
– 2 x Mi-171E Helicopter
– 6 x A-29 Super Tucano
– 3 x JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft – delivered and Inducted in May 2021.
There are also 3 x Special Missions Aircraft from NIMASA – a part of the Deep Blue Project – that have been delivered. They belong to NIMASA but will be operated by the NAF.
Armed Drones (UCAVs) have also being ordered and are being delivered; there are at least 8 of these – including Wingloong II, CH-3 and CH-4.
Timeline of the acquisitions
– In December 2016, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra handed over the first four MFI-17 Super Mushshak trainers to NAF.
The ceremony took place at Kaduna airbase, where the NAF’s flying training wing is based.
Delivery of the first four aircraft came six weeks after PAC Kamra signed a deal with the NAF to supply 10 new Super Mushshaks. Eight are being loaned as an interim measure until the new aircraft are delivered.
All of the Super Mushshaks were airfreighted by an Ilyushin Il-76 to Kaduna on 1 December, and reassembled by a PAF technical team at the airbase.
– In April 2019, Buhari inducted two Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopters into the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft inventory. The aircraft were unveiled during the NAF 55th anniversary.
While unveiling them, Buhari said that it was part of the federal government’s commitment to equipping the armed forces in order to tackle insecurity and protect Nigerians.
“These helicopters and other additional helicopters expected to arrive in the next few months will surely boost the performance of the Nigerian air force constitutional roles.
“I, therefore charge you to redouble your efforts toward protecting our national interests, while at the same time degrading national security threats,’’ Buhari had said
In November 2020, Nigeria reportedly received four Chinese-made Wing Loong II attack drones out of an order of eight.
“The Wing Loong II, which can remain airborne for 31hrs in Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mode and 26 hrs in offensive role, will add significant value to counterintelligence and anti-banditry operations,” Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Director of Public Relations and Information Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, had disclosed.
– In December 2020, a second Mil Mi-171E transport helicopter was delivered onboard Aviacon Zitotrans Ilyushin Il-76TD RA-76502 to the NAF Base in Makurdi.
The Mi-171E, serial NAF582 was the 23rd new aircraft to be acquired since 2015. It is reported to be operated by the 22nd Quick Response Wing (22 QRW) at Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Should we be bothered?
Since the beginning of the year, Nigeria has experienced four aircraft crashes. While two of these were attributed to bad weather and mechanical faults (though the Accident Investigation is yet to give specifics); the other two occurred under controversial circumstances.
On the 31st of March, 2021, the Airforce had announced that one of its Alpha fighter jets had gone off the radar.
“The Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) that went off the radar with 2 crew members on board on 31 March 2021 might have crashed. The cause of the crash as well as the whereabouts of the 2 pilots remains unknown.”
Though Boko Haram jihadists had claimed responsibility for shooting down the fighter jet, the Airforce refuted it.
Similarly, bandits attacked another combat aircraft on Sunday at a boundary between Zamfara and Kaduna States. However, the pilot was lucky enough to eject.
With Nigeria’s fight against insurgency lasting more than a decade, it is only safe to ask if they recently acquired Super Tucanos will go a long way to combat this menace.
Why the A-29 Super Tucano is a good buy
In the acquisition of aircraft, certain features must be considered, given that Nigeria is fighting a low-intensity conflict with ground troops needing constant support.
The USAF in 2009 asked manufacturers to come up with models for a possible Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance aircraft that could be outfitted to several specific key requirements as follows:
Rough field operations: The RFI requires that the aircraft be capable of operating from semi-prepared runways such as grass or dirt surfaces.
Defensive package: The aircraft will have to include several defensive measures, including a Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS).
Others are:
Radar warning receiver (RWR), and chaff and flare dispensers; Armored cockpit and engine for pilot protection against small arms; Long loiter time – the aircraft must be able to fly 5 hour sorties (with 30-minute fuel reserves); Range. -The aircraft must have a 900 nautical mile (1600 km) ferry range; Datalink capability – The aircraft is required to have a line-of-sight data link (with beyond line-of-sight desired) capability of transmitting and receiving still and video images; among other important specifications.
On why the A-29 Super Tucano is a good buy, Aero expert, Sadeeq Shehu, says, “In terms of performance the Tucano ticks all the boxes of the requirements needed for a COIN aircraft: Maximum speed: 458 km/h (not too fast), Range: 1,916 km?, The range and a service ceiling of the Super Tucano are 4,820km? and 10,670m respectively. Its maximum endurance is six hours and 30 minutes.
“It can carry a variety of Armaments including different calibres of machine guns, rockets, bombs. The EMB-314 Super Tucano all-glass cockpit is fully compatible with night-vision goggles equipped with avionics systems from Elbit Systems of Haifa, Israel, including a head-up display (HUD), advanced mission computer, navigation system, and two 6in x 8in colour liquid crystal multi-function displays.
“The pilot is provided with a hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) control.The pilot is protected with Kevlar armour and provided with a Martin Baker zero/zero ejection seat. The clamshell canopy, hinged at the front and rear and electrically activated, is fitted with a de-icing system and features a windshield capable of withstanding, at 300k, the impact of a 4lb bird. A Northrop Grumman onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS) is installed.”
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