Nigeria to take delivery of JF-17 Thunder aircraft
Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), confirmed on 15 February that the air force will receive an unspecified number of JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter aircraft in November 2020. The aircraft are constructed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) alongside the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).
Abubakar also noted that negotiations to procure Embraer A-29 Super Tucanos are ongoing, with an undisclosed number expected to enter into service with the NAF by 2022.
The new NAF aircraft are expected to be used in COIN operations. Nigeria faces security threats from armed bandit groups as well as the Islamist terror group Boko Haram, which has waged a decade-long insurgency in the north of the country.
Abubakar confirmed that the NAF’s aircraft serviceability rate has increased from 35% in July 2015 to 82% by February 2020.
More from Air Warfare
-
![UK company demonstrates crewed-uncrewed teaming]()
UK company demonstrates crewed-uncrewed teaming
QinetiQ's aerial target drone, the Banshee, was modified to be controlled by a piloted aircraft.
-
![Airbus could miss out as India’s air refueller saga drags on]()
Airbus could miss out as India’s air refueller saga drags on
Amid heightened demand for aerial refuelling capabilities in India, Airbus Defence faces a potential setback in securing defence contracts in the country due to escalating costs and concerns over trust.
