Nigeria is acquiring additional Alpha Jets to augment those already in service with the country's air force (pictured). (Nigerian Air Force)
Nigeria has acquired surplus French military Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet light strike aircraft as it looks to strengthen its operational capabilities in the face of emerging threats.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar announced the buy on 4 December, as part of a recent raft of measures to build up the service that he described as being “a golden era” of procurement.
“[AM Abubakar] noted the procurement of 12 pre-owned Alpha Jets from the French Air Force, with six to be operationally restored and six allocated for spare parts,” the NAF said on its official Facebook page.
The NAF currently fields eight of 28 Alpha Jets that it first received from 1980. As noted by Janes World Air Forces, NAF Alpha Jets have been used in a ground attack role to strike Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, and to support operations against militant groups in the Niger Delta.
Over the years, a number have been lost on operations, and replacement airframes have been sourced, including five from the United States in 2015 and 2016. The current fleet is operated by 103 Strike Group at Yola, in the far east of the country, and by 115 Special Operations Group, 206 Wing at Port Harcourt, in the country's coast.
For more information on the NAF, please see Nigeria – Air Force .
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