Insecurity: Nigeria in deal to buy Turkish gunships
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Federal government is in deal to procure combat helicopter from Turkey as the European country boosts its profile as global supplier of light arms and battle equipment to poor countries.
The Oracle Today reports Turkish Aerospace Industries to have announced new deals to export its helicopter gunships and trainer aircraft to two African countries, including Nigeria where government battles the deadly Boko Haram and murderous Fulani bandits and herdsmen.
TAI’s General Manager, Temel Kotil, said the company is building the T129 under license from the Italian-British firm Agusta Westland; and will deliver a batch of six of the attack helicopters to Nigeria.
Under an earlier contract, worth $269 million, TAI is selling six T129s to the Philippines. The Philippine military has already received two, and the remaining four are scheduled for delivery in 2023.
Kotil also announced TAI is selling an unspecified batch of its Hurkus HYEU “air ground integration aircraft,” an advanced version of the Hurkus basic trainer aircraft, to Chad.
TAI earlier sold two HYEU platforms to Niger and is presently competing in a race to sell 18 of them to the Malaysian military.
TAI declined to comment on the contract value for the Nigerian and Chad deals, and it would not provide a quantity for the aircraft deal with Chad.
