© Images copyright: NAF
Italy’s official delegation and Leonardo will participate in AFRIDEX 2026 in Lagos, highlighting a defence relationship spanning aircraft procurement, training, maintenance and industrial cooperation. Their presence comes as Nigeria receives additional helicopters and prepares to introduce a new generation of Italian-built combat aircraft.
Taking place from 26–29 October at Eko Atlantic, AFRIDEX will bring together government, military and industry representatives. Leonardo’s participation as an exhibitor and sponsor places one of Nigeria’s established aerospace suppliers at the centre of discussions on capability development and sustained operational readiness.
On 15 September 2026, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) received three Leonardo AW109 Trekker B helicopters in Lagos. They represent the first deliveries under an additional ten-aircraft programme, with the remaining seven expected before the end of 2026. Following arrival, the helicopters entered assembly and technical preparation ahead of induction. The NAF identifies their intended roles as reconnaissance, close air support, armed escort and combat search and rescue.
This programme follows two AW109 Trekkers already acquired by 2024, bringing the planned Trekker acquisition total to twelve. The distinction is significant: the ten-aircraft programme supplements those earlier helicopters, while the September arrivals constitute three of the ten additional machines.
Leonardo’s rotary-wing relationship with Nigeria also includes earlier AW109 variants. Two AW109 Power helicopters were inducted in April 2019, followed by another pair delivered in January 2020 with associated equipment and spares. These supplemented an established AgustaWestland helicopter fleet. The NAF additionally received two AW101 helicopters through transfers from the Presidential Air Fleet, a separate development from direct purchases for operational units.
The partnership extends to aircraft supplied by Leonardo’s predecessor companies. These include Aermacchi MB339 trainers, Aeritalia G222 transports and two Alenia Aeronautica ATR42 maritime patrol aircraft, delivered in 2009–2010. This historical footprint connects the current procurement programmes with decades of Italian involvement in Nigerian aviation, covering training, transport and surveillance alongside rotary-wing operations.
The largest current fixed-wing programme concerns 24 M346 fighter-attack aircraft. The first three completed factory acceptance testing at Leonardo’s Venegono facility between 29 June and 9 July 2026. Certification cleared them for delivery; it should not be confused with confirmed arrival or operational induction in Nigeria. The aircraft are intended to combine advanced pilot training with combat missions, including precision strike and close air support.
Training and sustainment are integral to this expansion. During the acceptance process, Nigerian representatives reviewed pilot and maintenance training, logistics arrangements, full-mission simulation and virtual-reality training systems. These activities aim to develop the personnel and technical capacity needed to support the aircraft throughout service.
Nigerian air force leadership has also advocated establishing a Leonardo maintenance hub in Nigeria. Although this remains a proposed initiative, it reflects the importance attached to domestic support capacity. At AFRIDEX, Italy and Leonardo will therefore enter discussions grounded in existing aircraft relationships and active procurement programmes, with training, industrial cooperation and fleet sustainment central to the next phase of bilateral defence engagement.
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