Brazil’s aircraft maker Embraer said Wednesday it has finalized a contract to sell 12 light attack aircraft to Nigeria’s air force, which is fighting an insurgency by Boko Haram jihadists.
Embraer’s military aircraft division said in a statement it and a partner firm making electronic systems, Sierra Nevada Corporation of the United States, had sealed the order from Nigeria for the A-29 Super Tucano planes, which are to be made in the US.
The contract had been mooted for some time but was reportedly stalled by lack of US authorization.
A specialist website, defenceWeb, said last year the deal was worth $329 million. It said associated weaponry, including guided bombs and rockets, might be acquired under separate contracts.
The Embraer statement did not put a value on the sale, nor mention munitions.
“The contract for the Nigerian Air Force includes ground training devices, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment, alternate…
