The United States government has authorized the possible sale of a major package of MK-82 general-purpose bombs, laser-guided kits, and APKWS II guided rockets for the Nigerian Air Force’s A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft fleet. The operation, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and reported to Congress by the State Department for approval, is valued at $346 million.
To support the fight against insurgent and terrorist groups operating within Nigerian territory, the United States previously finalized the sale of new Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to Nigeria. In total, the Nigerian Air Force operates a fleet of twelve (12) aircraft, delivered in two batches during July and October 2021.
According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) report issued on August 13, the Nigerian government requested from the U.S. the purchase of a substantial package of guided and unguided weaponry to be employed in various strike operations against terrorist groups.
Specifically, the package, valued at $346 million and with major suppliers including RTX Missiles and Defense, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems, consists of the following items:
- 1,002 MK-82 500 lb general-purpose bombs
- 1,002 guidance kits for 500 lb Paveway II GBU-12 laser-guided bombs
- 515 guidance kits for 250 lb Paveway II GBU-58 laser-guided bombs
- 1,517 control systems for Paveway II GBU-12/GBU-58 bombs
- 1,002 FMU-152 programmable fuzes
- 5,000 APKWS II rocket conversion kits (including WGU-59/B guidance modules, high-explosive warheads, and MK66-4 rocket motors)
As the list shows, much of the weaponry complements itself —such as the MK-82 bombs with Paveway II GBU-12 guidance kits— as well as, presumably, other general-purpose bombs already available in the Nigerian Air Force’s inventory, in the case of the Paveway II GBU-58 kits, which are compatible with MK-81 general-purpose bombs.
The APKWS II kits, developed and produced by BAE Systems, allow various unguided rockets, such as the 70 mm Hydra, to be converted into precision-guided munitions for ground attack and, more recently, against low-performance aerial targets such as drones. In this regard, it is worth noting that this weaponry could also be used by new attack platforms being incorporated by Nigeria, such as the Turkish-made ATAK T129 attack helicopters.
The State Department stated: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.” It added: “The proposed sale will enhance Nigeria’s ability to meet current and future threats through counter-terrorism operations and to counter illicit trafficking in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria will have no difficulty absorbing these munitions into its Armed Forces.”
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