The Nigerian Air Force took delivery of the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from the United States on Thursday.
The six Tucano aircraft are part of the 12 fighter jets sold to Nigeria by the United States to aid combat actions and air assaults.
Here are 10 vital things you need to know about the The A-29.
1, The A-29 Super Tucano is the only light air support (LAS) aircraft in the world with a U.S. Military Type Certificate, can help the Nigeria Air Force enhance warfighter support and bring greater value and affordability to the Nigerian Military.
2, The A-29, is manufactured in Florida and selected by 13 different Air Forces worldwide, the Aircraft is a durable, versatile and powerful turboprop aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of fighter and ISR missions. The A-29 is combat-proven in Afghanistan and in theaters around the globe.
3, The A-29 is 150+ Weapons Configurations Certified.
4, The aircraft is a lower cost alternative for fighting in permissive environments, including insurgencies.
5, The A-29 was built to perform from unimproved runways in austere environments & rugged terrain.
6, The A-29 has accomplished more than 360,000 flight hours and over 46,000 combat hours.
7, The A-29, has about 150 certified load configurations, it is equipped with advanced electronic, electro-optic, infrared and laser system technologies, as well as secure radio systems with data links and unrivaled munitions capacity.
8, The Cruise speed of the A-29 is 281 KIAS, and the Stall speed is 83 Knots Calibrated Air Speed (KCAS).
9, The A-29 is fitted with all-glass cockpit and fully compatible with night-vision goggles. Its maximum endurance is six hours and 30 minutes. The aircraft weighs 3,020kg and has a maximum take-off weight of 5,200kg.
10, The aircraft is equipped with an advanced laser inertial navigation and attack system, a global positioning system (GPS) and a traffic alerting and collision avoidance system (TCAS).
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