Last week, the Nigerian Air Force announced that six of the 12 Super Tucano fighter jets earlier ordered by the federal government have departed the United States of America en route the country.
It was reported that the fighter jets which left on Wednesday are a product of a $329million Foreign Military Sales contract to SNC by the United States government, initiated in November 2018, to build 12 A-29s for the Nigerian Air Force.
Speaking on the development in a statement, the spokesman of the Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabwet, revealed that the aircraft will be lifted through five countries including Canada, Iceland, Spain, and Algeria.
The 6 aircraft are expected in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021.
“The first batch of 6 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft departed the United States of America on Wednesday, 14 July 2021 en route Nigeria. The 6 aircraft will be leapfrogged through 5 countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving at their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021,” the statement by the Nigerian Air Force read.
“An official induction ceremony of the aircraft into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force is already being planned at a later date in August 2021 to be announced in due course. The office of the Director of Public Relations and Information remains open to any inquiry regarding the arrival and induction of the aircraft.”
As against reports that the fighter jets were manufactured by the United States of America, The Street Journal has reliably gathered that they were made by Brazillian manufacturers, Embraer.
It was gathered that what Nigeria expects in the country at the end of July are six Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano jets, made by Brazil.
Designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments, the A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions.
In addition to its manufacture in Brazil, Embraer has a production line in the United States in association with Sierra Nevada Corporation for the manufacture of A-29s to export customers.
Further checks show that despite having a production plant in the US, the A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets has never been used by any developed country, rather, by third-world countries.
Countries that have used the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano Aircraft
In addition to Nigeria, other less-developed nations that have used the A-29s aircraft are Afghanistan, Chile, Brazil – used for the Sivam program and Operations Agata 1, 2, and 3; Colombia – used for several anti-FARC operations; Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mauritania, Philipines.
Controversies surrounding the EMB 314 Super Tucano aircraft and the United States
While developed countries have neither purchased nor used the A-29s, an American private military contractor, a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide purchased one Super Tucano from Embraer.
However, controversies reportedly arose when it was discovered that the fighter jet lacked the machine guns normally attached to the wings. This particular aircraft was later sold to Tactical Air Support Inc. of Reno, Nevada.
…Purchase by the US for Afghan forces
The A-29s, in 2009, was offered in a U.S. Air Force competition for 100 counterinsurgency aircraft and Brazil signed an agreement that opened negotiations for the purchase of 200 Super Tucanos by the U.S. for Afghanistan.
On November 16, 2011, while the AT-6 was excluded, the Embraer Super Tucano was selected to supply the fighter jets.
“The Air Force concluded that HBDC had not adequately corrected deficiencies in its proposal… that multiple deficiencies and significant weaknesses found in HBDC’s proposal make it technically unacceptable and results in unacceptable mission capability risk,” the GAO had said.
Purchase by Nigeria
Nigeria, during the raging Boko Haram insurgency in the North East region, showed interest in acquiring 12 brand new A-29 Super Tucanos in November 2013. It was, however, delayed due to human-rights concerns.
The country had already bought three fighter jets from the Brazilian Air Force inventory in 2017.
In April 2017, the United States indicated that it would facilitate a deal to sell up to 12 of the aircraft for up to US$600 million, thus ending delays that had been caused by human-rights concerns.
The US Department of State, in August 2017, approved the sale of 12 aircraft and associated supplies and weapons to the Nigerian government.
In November 2018, Nigeria purchased 12 Super Tucanos from Sierra Nevada for $329 million, six of which are to be fitted with forward-looking infrared systems.
While 6 of the aircraft have departed the US for Nigeria, the remaining six are expected in May 2024.
SOURCE: thestreetjournal.org
