The Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Air Force, Hon. Abass Adigun, popularly known as Agboworin, has disclsoed that the need to build to the exact specification of the Nigeria Air Force was the reason it has taken the United States (US) four years to manufacture and deliver Super Tucano fighter aircrafts to Nigeria.
He stated this in a statement from Florida, US, on Monday where he and four other lawmakers who are members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Defence and Air Force just concluded an assessment tour of six of the 12 aircrafts ahead of their delivery next month.
Adigun said members of the Nigerian delegation were satisfied with the aircrafts. He
expressed confidence that the 12 units of the A-29 fighter aircraft ordered by the Federal Government will be the game changer in the battle against insurgency and other criminalities in the country.
According to him, with six of the aircrafts are expected in Nigeria in July, while the remaining six are expected before the end of October. He added that the military would be further empowered to take the battle against insurgency to the terrorists in their hideouts.
The lawmaker, who retired from the US Navy to join politics in Nigeria, said the aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets that will enable it carry out a series of military missions including close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and can fly on an unpaved runway, among other capabilities.
Adigun said the delivery of half of the planes in July would bring the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) to number 10 in the list of countries where Super Tucano planes are being used globally.
He said the head of the US Air Force Fighters and Advance Aircraft Directorate, Col. Authur Ford, explained that the long duration between the payment date and the scheduled delivery date is for the good of Nigeria.
“The colonel explained to us that the long duration was as a result of the challenged encountered while they were configuring the Tucano aircraft. As a retiree of the US Navy, I know military hardware is not something you pick on the shelf. It takes time. More so, Nigeria gave them a specification that must be met in configuring the fighter plane.
“Ford also assured us that 10 out of the 12 aircraft are ready, while the remaining two are undergoing modification and integration to NAF specific operational configuration. He assures us further that the delivery date won’t change. He said the aircraft would come in handy for Nigeria in its long-running battle against terrorists and criminals,” Adigun said.
The team, which was led by Senator Michael Nnachi, was received on arrival in the US last week by officials from Embraer Defence Security Incorporated (EDSI), manufacturers of the Super Tucano aircraft.
Adigun, who represents Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East Federal Constituency of Oyo State, said Senator Nnachi commended the manufacturers for the quality of work done, but queried why it is taking about four years to deliver the aircraft despite Nigeria making full payment.
The lawmaker expressed satisfaction with the progress of work done on the aircraft as well as the quality of the gadgets, assuring Nigerians that insurgents would be rolled back and decimated once the aircraft arrive.
The delegation, which also included Honourables Babajimi Benson from Lagos; Shehu Koko and Abubakar Maki, were first received on arrival at Florida by the Nigerian Defence Attaché to the US, Air Commodore Jibrin Usman; the Lead Foreign Liaison Office on the A-29, Air Vice Marshal Sule Lawal and others.
