News
NAF Advances Acquisition of 12 AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters
The Nigerian Air Force has advanced its acquisition of 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, with production of the first aircraft now underway at Bell Textron in Texas.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken a major step towards acquiring 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from Bell Textron in Amarillo, Texas, following a beam-signing ceremony marking the start of production of the aircraft for Nigeria.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, led a NAF delegation to Bell Textron's facility for the ceremony, which forms part of the Nigeria–United States defence cooperation programme.
Bell Textron said the event marked the beginning of production of the first AH-1Z Viper destined for the Nigerian Air Force under a U.S. Foreign Military Sales programme approved in 2024.
According to the NAF, the acquisition is part of the Federal Government's efforts to modernise the Armed Forces and strengthen Nigeria's defence capabilities.
Aneke described the programme as a significant milestone in building a more capable and mission-ready Nigerian Air Force. He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the United States Government, as well as Bell Textron and other stakeholders involved in the programme.
During the visit, the NAF delegation inspected Bell's AH-1Z Viper production line in Amarillo.
The AH-1Z Viper is an attack helicopter designed for missions including close air support and armed escort. The broader Nigerian programme includes aircraft, associated equipment, weapons, training, spares and support. Janes reported the aircraft portion of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales award at approximately $455 million, with the wider programme valued at about $997 million.
Bell has said production of the Nigerian aircraft is expected to continue through the programme, with completion projected for early 2029.
The development comes shortly after the NAF took delivery of five other helicopters as part of Nigeria's ongoing airpower modernisation programme.
The newly delivered platforms comprise three AW-109 Trekker B helicopters manufactured by Leonardo Helicopters of Italy and two H-125 helicopters manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. The three AW-109s are part of a batch of 10 acquired by the Federal Government, with the remaining seven expected before the end of 2026.
The NAF said the new helicopters are expected to improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, close air support, armed escort, combat search and rescue and other operations supporting ground forces.