By 
By Bisi LAWAL
The Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, has disclosed that the Nigerian Air Force is set to receive 18 attack helicopters from the United States and Turkey to strengthen its fleet.
The disclosure was made during a one-day tour of formations and units under the NAF 115 Special Operations Group in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday.
Abubakar said he was in the state to commiserate with the families of the NAF pilots and crew that died in the helicopter crash in Niger on August 14.
According to him, the Force is saddened by the recent loss of its airplane (MI 171 helicopter) but they are unfazed because they have a lot more coming in.
He said, “We are not deterred by recent developments as the Federal Government has approved the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra and six T129 helicopters from the United States and Turkey, respectively.
“The first two T129 helicopters are scheduled to come into operation by September to enhance our operational capabilities.”
The MI 171 helicopter which crashed on Monday, August 14, took off from Kaduna en route Minna, the Niger State capital, when the incident occurred.
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