Lagos (AFP)
Yesterday, the US State Department approved a major deal to sell attack helicopters to Nigeria for about one billion dollars. The value of 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters and associated military equipment, including guidance and night vision systems, as well as training support, is estimated at $997 million.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the helicopters allow “Nigeria to be better equipped to enhance regional stability and strengthen interoperability with the United States and other Western partners.”
It added, in a statement, that the deal “constitutes a significant contribution to the security objectives of the United States and Nigeria, a strategic partner in sub-Saharan Africa.” In addition to air-to-ground firing capabilities, these attack helicopters can also be used during reconnaissance and escort missions, according to the American manufacturer Bell Textron on its website.
And in November, during his first tour of sub-Saharan Africa, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on Nigeria to play a greater role on the continent, while encouraging it to be more transparent in its human rights management.
The US Congress was the last to sell military equipment to Nigeria, amid questions about the military’s commitment to protecting civilians in its fight against terrorist insurgents in the northeast of the country more than a decade ago.
Last year, the African giant began receiving American “Super Tucano” ground attack aircraft. Former President Donald Trump green-lighted the sale in 2017 after his predecessor Barack Obama halted it, following a Nigerian attack on a refugee camp that killed more than 100 people.
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