The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Hassan Abubakar, says the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) will soon take delivery of 18 attack helicopters to boost its fleet of aircraft.
Mr Abubakar said this at a one-day tour of formations and units under the NAF 115 Special Operations Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said the United States would supply 12 attack helicopters while the Turkish government would provide another six helicopters in September.
“We are not deterred by recent developments as the federal government has approved the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra and six T129 Helicopters from the United States and Turkey, respectively.
“The first two T129 helicopters are scheduled to come into operation by September to enhance our operational capabilities.
“So, yes, we are saddened by the recent loss of our airplane (MI 171 helicopter), but then, we have a lot more (aircraft) coming in, and our capabilities are increasing,” he said.
Mr Abubakar said he visited the state to commiserate with families of the NAF pilots and crew that died in the ill-fated helicopter crash in Niger on Aug. 14.
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