The Nigerian Air Force has announced plans to bolster its fleet by acquiring 18 attack helicopters from the United States and Turkey. The Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, disclosed this during a visit to units under the NAF 115 Special Operations Group in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. His visit also aimed to express condolences to the families of NAF pilots and crew who tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Niger on August 14.
Abubakar acknowledged the recent loss of an MI 171 helicopter but emphasized that the NAF remains undeterred. He shared that the Federal Government has granted approval for the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra helicopters from the United States and six T129 helicopters from Turkey. The deployment of the first two T129 helicopters is expected by September, which will significantly enhance the NAF’s operational capabilities.
The MI 171 helicopter that crashed on August 14 departed from Kaduna and was en route to Minna, the capital of Niger State, when the incident occurred.