$74.5M to Support Nigerian G222 Transport Aircraft
[Richard Seaman]
Finmeccanica SpA subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica has signed a contract with the Nigerian Air Force to refurbish and support its five 1980s-vintage Aeritalia G222 transport aircraft. The two-year agreement is worth $74.5 million. Alenia’s responsibilities will include technical training of pilot instructors, technicians, engineers, load masters and the logistic support staff, as well as maintenance equipment, and new infrastructure at the military base of Ilorin (approximately 300 km from the Federal Capital Lagos). The Nigerian Air Force will also be given an additional second-hand G222 aircraft.
The agreement is part of a wider initiative by Alenia Aeronautica towards many international customers of the G222 (105 were sold), in order to keep these aircraft serviceable and able to meet mission requirements. Alenia Aeronautica also sells new C-27J Spartan aircraft as a successor to the G222, in a cooperative venture with Lockheed Martin. Nigeria’s G222s transport aircraft fleet are often used in peace-keeping deployments within the African continent. Corporate Release [PDF format]
