The US Approves $997 Million Worth Of Weaponry Sales To Nigeria

The US government has approved the sale of fighter jets and other military equipment to Nigeria, which will be used to combat terrorists operating in the country.  The weaponry is expected to cost Nigeria $997 million, according to a statement made by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency on April 14.

The decision comes after months of contention on the issue, with the US previously denying Nigeria’s request due to worries over human rights.

The heavy weaponry is being acquired less than a year after the US government provided the country with 12 super Tucano aircraft.

The Nigerian government has ordered 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, twenty-eight (28) T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed, 4 spares), and two thousand (2,000) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guiding sections, according to the statement submitted on April 14, 2022.

Night Vision Cueing Display (NVCD), commercial variant GPS with Standard Positioning Service (SPS), and communication equipment are among the other options.

Electronic warfare systems, the AN/AVS-9 Aviator’s Night Vision Imaging System, the M197 20mm machine gun, the Target Sight System (TSS), support equipment, spare engine containers, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, and technical data and publication are all included in the inventory.

According to the statement, Nigeria’s payment also includes personnel training in the use of the technology.

According to the statement, “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The proposed sale will better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability and build interoperability with the U.S. and other Western partners.

“This sale will be a major contribution to U.S. and Nigerian security goals. Nigeria will have no difficulty absorbing the equipment and services into its armed force.”

The US further revealed that the training of the Nigerian military for the equipment maintenance will last five years and that about three contractor support personnel will be deployed to stay in Nigeria for two years.