The ceremony was held at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base in Makurdi, the capital of Benue state; Vice President Kashim Shettima, Minister of Defence Badaru Abubakar, Turkiye’s Ambassador to Abuja Hidayet Bayraktar, Nigerian Land Forces Commander Taoreed Lagbaja, members of the national assembly and several senior military officers attended.
In his speech at the ceremony, Vice President Shettima stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed his belief that deploying newly purchased helicopters will significantly contribute to solving security problems both within the country and in the West African region.
Nigeria has recently been facing attacks from terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as armed gangs in different parts of the country. Attack helicopters supplied from Turkiye are expected to help combat security problems in Nigeria.
The second batch of two T129 ATAKs to Nigeria is planned to be delivered in the second quarter of 2024.
T129 Atak can be equipped with:
76 x 70 mm (2.75”) Classic Rockets
16 x 70mm (2.75’’) CIRIT Guided Missiles
20 mm Turreted Gun (500 Rounds)
8 x STINGER Air-to-Air Missiles
8 x UMTAS ATGM
The NAF has inducted five new aircraft into its fleet, including two Diamond 62 surveillance aircraft, two T129 ATAK helicopters, and a King Air 360 ER.
