26 NAF Pilots and Maintenance Personnel Arrive Turkey For T-129 ATAK Helicopter Training

26 NAF Pilots and Maintenance Personnel Arrive Turkey For T-129 ATAK Helicopter Training

26 Nigerian Air Force Pilots and maintenance personnel have arrived in Turkey for training on operating and maintenance of T129 ATAK helicopters.

The T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem-seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter procured by the Turkish Aerospace Industry for counter-terrorism operations in the country.

NAF Director Of Information, Air Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa said on Tuesday in Abuja that the aircraft is among the platforms expected to be delivered to NAF before the end of the first quarter of 2023.

“First batch of Nigerian Air Force pilots and maintenance personnel to train on the T-129 ATAK helicopter under procurement from the Turkish Aerospace Industry arrived in Ankara. They are 26 in number,” he said.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo had recently announced that among the platforms to be purchased are 2 CASA-295 military transport aircraft, 2 Beechcraft King Air 360, 4 Diamond DA-62 surveillance aircraft, 3 Wing Loong II UCAV, and 6 T-129 ATAK helicopters.