Just under a year ago, the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari had already indirectly announced Nigeria’s decision to purchase a total of 24 M-346 Advanced Trainer Jets in the Fighter Attack version FAnow the country’s air force has confirmed the purchase in a recent video – from the Italian manufacturer Leonardo has not yet issued a statement.
The successor to the Saab Saab 105OE, which was already discontinued at the end of 2020 discussed in Austria (-> Wanted: Austria is looking for the new advanced jet trainer) is to replace the Alpha Jets that have been flying in Nigeria for many years. However, while Leonardo has received orders from Greece (ten aircraft) or Qatar (six aircraft) officially communicated, the Sales & Marketing manager responsible for the aircraft division did not want to say anything about Nigeria and the details of the order there, even when asked at the most recent military training conference in London.
12+12=24
At the same time, however, the Nigerian armed forces have now published a long video about the renewal of their air force (see above), in which – in addition to thematizing the Embraer, which has also been mentioned in Austria as a possible successor to the PC-7 Embraer Super Tucano – also openly expresses the anticipation of the total of 24 Italian high-tech jets. In the video, Ashibel P. Utsu, Head of the Air Force Department at the Ministry of Defense in Abidjan, expressly thanks former President Mohammad Buhari for the fact that a contract for twelve aircraft could be concluded this year and a further twelve M-346FAs beyond that – it is not known exactly when the contract was signed or what the purchase price was.
This is also a good basis for further discussions about delivery times and production slots in this country. Provided, of course, that the red-white-red type decision, which has been dragging on for a remarkably long time since the manufacturers’ answers at the end of September 2023, ends with a favorite victory and the armed forces procures the M-346FA.
The three manufacturers being considered as Saab 105OE successors – with their technically hardly comparable models – are hoping in discussions for a decision soon in a transparent and fair competition.
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