The Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has inspected ongoing production of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) AW109 Trekker attack helicopters and M-346 Fighter Attack Jets at Leonardo’s defence facilities in Northern Italy.
The inspection formed part of his official visit to Italy, where he joined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the AQABA Process meeting.
A statement by Mati Ali, PA (Media & Publicity) to the Minister, said Badaru visited the Leonardo Helicopters Division in Vergiate and the Leonardo Aircraft Division in Venegono — both key to Nigeria’s defence modernization drive.
At the helicopter assembly plant, the Minister reviewed progress on the ten AW109 Trekkers being produced for the Nigerian Air Force. Three have been fully completed and are ready for delivery, another three are nearing completion before the end of 2025, while the remaining four are expected by early 2026.
Similarly, at the aircraft division, the Minister was briefed on the M-346 Fighter Attack Jets production line. Six out of the twenty-four ordered aircraft are already at advanced stages of assembly, with three undergoing flight tests and the rest set for testing soon.
The full fleet will be delivered in four batches of six, complete with armaments, spares, support equipment, and comprehensive training packages for NAF personnel.
Badaru expressed satisfaction with the high-quality engineering and strict timelines maintained by Leonardo’s production teams, describing the visit as “another step toward building a modern, combat-ready Nigerian military.”
He reiterated the Tinubu administration’s determination to strengthen Nigeria’s national defence posture through strategic partnerships and world-class procurement.
Badaru Inspects Production of NAF Helicopters, Fighter Jets in Italy
