The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has inspected the ongoing production of aircraft and helicopters being manufactured for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) at Leonardo S.p.A’s advanced defence facilities in northern Italy.
Badaru, who was part of President Bola Tinubu’s delegation to the AQABA Process meeting, toured Leonardo’s Helicopters Division in Vergiate and Aircraft Division in Venegono, where key platforms for the NAF are currently being assembled.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Mati Ali, the Minister was said to have reviewed progress on ten AW109 Trekker attack helicopters being built for Nigeria. Out of the batch, three helicopters have already been completed and are ready for delivery, another three will be ready before the end of 2025, while the remaining four are expected by early 2026.
Badaru also inspected the production line for the M-346 Fighter Attack Jets, six of which are at advanced stages of completion. Three of the jets are already undergoing flight tests, while the remaining three will begin testing soon.
According to the statement, all 24 aircraft will be delivered in four batches, complete with weapons, tools, spare parts, and logistics support.
Expressing satisfaction with the progress made, the Minister commended Leonardo’s engineers for their professionalism and high-quality standards.
He added that the acquisitions reflect President Tinubu’s firm commitment to modernising the armed forces and strengthening Nigeria’s defence capabilities through global partnerships.
