The Nigerian Government will soon receive three out of the twenty-four
AW109 Trekker attack helicopters and
M-346 Fighter Attack Jets being manufactured in Italy.
The 24 aircraft will be delivered in four batches of six, complete with armaments, support equipment, tools, spare parts, and comprehensive training and logistics support.
The information was disclosed to the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who visited the manufacturing site to inspect the production of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft and helicopters at Leonardo S.p.A’s defence manufacturing facilities in Northern Italy.
The inspection according to a statement signed by his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mati Ali and made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA, forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to Italy for the AQABA Process meeting.
During the visit, Minister Badaru reviewed the assembly process for ten AW109 Trekker attack helicopters being produced for the NAF. Three of the helicopters are fully completed and ready for delivery, while an additional three are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The remaining four helicopters are slated for delivery in early 2026.
The Minister also inspected the production of M-346 Fighter Attack Jets, with six out of 24 aircraft at advanced stages of production.
Three of the jets are already undergoing flight tests, while the remaining three are expected to enter testing shortly.
Minister Abubakar expressed his satisfaction with the high quality and timely delivery of both the helicopters and fighter jets. He also commended the professionalism and technical expertise demonstrated by Leonardo’s engineers and management throughout the production process.
“The acquisitions demonstrate the Tinubu administration’s commitment to modernising the armed forces and strengthening Nigeria’s defence partnerships,” Minister Badaru said.
The inspection highlights the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s national defence capabilities through strategic acquisitions and international partnerships