The U.S. administration is seeking to approve a sale of as many as 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Nigeria to aid its battle against the extremist group Boko Haram, U.S. officials said. The officials said while speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s plans in a vote of confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari’s drive to reform the country’s corruption-tainted military.
Washington also is dedicating more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to the campaign against the Islamist militants in the region and plans to provide additional training to Nigerian infantry forces. The possible sale which the officials said was favored within the U.S. administration but is subject to review by Congress underscores the deepening U.S. involvement in helping governments in North and West Africa fight extremist groups.
U.S. Navy Vice Admiral, Michael Franken, a Deputy Commander of the Pentagon’s Africa Command, told a Washington forum last week that there now are 6,200 U.S. troops most of them Special Operations Forces, operating from 26 locations on the continent.
