Just three years after the Nigerian Air Force took delivery of a dozen A-29 Super Tucanos, Airmen there have logged 10,000 flying hours on the single-engine light attack planes.
Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, Nigeria’s chief of air staff, noted the achievement at Kainji Air Force Base in August 2024, saying that it represents years of dedication, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to the Air Force’s mission.
“Reaching 10,000 flight hours is no small feat as it symbolizes the countless hours of training, meticulous planning and flawless execution that have gone into every mission we have undertaken,” Abubakar said, as reported by defenceWeb. Abubakar also noted that the flight-hour milestone was achieved without any major incident.
Nigeria received the 12 planes from the United States between July and September 2021. The $500 million deal was part of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The sale included spare parts to support several years of operations, contracted logistics support, munitions and a multiyear construction project to upgrade infrastructure at the Kainji base in Niger State.
The A-29 Super Tucano is designed for light air support, combat and reconnaissance. The durable design performs well in rugged terrain with unpaved runways and at forward operating bases.
Nigeria’s Air Force wasted little time deploying the Tucanos against Boko Haram extremists. Airstrikes in August 2022 targeted three encampments in the Sambisa Forest region as part of Operation Hadin Kai. The Air Force also has used the planes against bandits and other violent actors.
“The world continues to change, and new threats emerge every day,” Abubakar said. “Our commitment to excellence must remain steadfast and we must continue to adapt, innovate and evolve to stay ahead of our adversaries.”
