Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has inspected the ongoing production of new aircraft and helicopters for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) at the facilities of Leonardo S.p.A, a leading Italian defence manufacturer.
Badaru, who accompanied President Bola Tinubu to the Aqaba Process meeting in Rome, toured Leonardo’s Helicopters Division in Vergiate and Aircraft Division in Venegono, where key platforms for the NAF are currently being assembled.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Media Assistant, Mati Ali, the visit allowed Badaru to assess progress on ten AW109 Trekker attack helicopters being built for Nigeria. Three of the helicopters have been completed and are ready for delivery, another three will be ready before the end of 2025, while the remaining four are expected in early 2026.
The minister also inspected the assembly of M-346 Fighter Attack Jets, with six units at advanced stages of completion. Three of the jets are already undergoing flight tests, while the remaining three are expected to begin testing soon.
“The 24 aircraft will be delivered in four batches, complete with weapons, tools, spare parts, and logistics support,” Ali stated.
Expressing satisfaction with the progress and quality of work, Badaru commended Leonardo’s engineers for their professionalism and efficiency.
He noted that the aircraft acquisition reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to modernising Nigeria’s armed forces and strengthening international defence partnerships to boost national security.
