The United States has re open support for Nigeria’s battle against Boko Haram with commitment to sell A29 Super Tucano fighter jets to the Nigerian Air Force.
US Ambassador to Nigeria Stuart Symington yesterday presented Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar at the Air Force Headquarters in Abuja.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, said: “The United States (US) Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, today presented the Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) in respect of the A29 Super Tucano Aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Ambassador Symington expressed the commitment of the US Government to helping Nigeria completely defeat the Boko Haram terrorists and also eliminate all forms of terrorism from its territory.
According to him, the US Government would continue to support the NAF in its capacity-building efforts, including the timely supply of needed aircraft spares.
In that regard, officials of both the US Government and the NAF would be meeting in early January 2018 to jointly study the LOA prior to subsequent endorsements by both parties.
He reassured the US Ambassador of the commitment of the NAF to the stipulated deadlines in the LOA. Furthermore, the CAS assured the US Ambassador that the NAF would ensure the readiness of proposed home base of the Super Tucano Aircraft in Nigeria before the aircraft’s delivery.
“He further said that the NAF would nominate and prepare all the pilots and maintenance crew to be trained on the Super Tucano Aircraft, ahead of their training in the US.
“It is expected that the LOA would have been signed and necessary payments made before 20 February 2018 to ensure the commencement of production of the NAF’s Super Tucano Aircraft.
“The U.S. State Department had earlier approved the sale of 12 x A29 Super Tucano Aircraft to the NAF to further aid the nation’s counterinsurgency campaign”.
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