By Chido Nwangwu @Chido247
USAfriaonline.com: The purchase of $1 billion worth of 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters by Nigeria has been confirmed by the U.S Department of Defense (DoD). There was prior approval by the U.S Department of State.
According to a statement issued by the U.S Defense Security Cooperation Agency (which USAfricaonline.com has seen), it “will better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability and build interoperability with the US and other Western partners,”
The Defense Agency added that “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in sub-Saharan Africa.”
In December 2023, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation got a “$7,781,824 modification (P00007) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0001919D0025). This modification increases the ceiling for the production and delivery of an additional 32 H-1 tech refresh mission computers in support of the AH-1Z aircraft for the government of Nigeria. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah (55%); Baltimore, Maryland (25%); and Woodland Hills, California (20%), and is expected to be completed in June 2024.”
This is another wastage of money, because these helicopters can easily be downed with Stinger missiles that cost less than a million dollars each.
There are other military priorities that deserve attention. The right thing to do is to balance military wares acquisition … from attack helicopters to equipping ground troops with superior weapons, APCs, tanks, etc.