Total Delivered Now 4 of 12

On 30 April an Antonov An-124-100 transport aircraft arrived at NAF Base Makurdi, carrying two further partially disassembled Mi-35M attack helicopters.

The delivery brings to four the number of Mi-35Ms delivered against the total order for 12 placed in September 2015. The first two, delivered in December 2016, have made a significant contribution to recent counter-insurgency operations, according to official sources. Capable of night fighting, the helicopter features an upgraded avionics suite, including colour multi-function displays and target sighting systems with thermal imager and laser rangefinder. In addition to its attack role, the Mi-35M can carry up to eight fully-equipped troops.

A number of Nigerian Air Force personnel, including both aircrew and maintenance technicians, have received training in Russia as part of the original contract.