The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has officially detailed a major fleet expansion plan centered on acquiring 12 TUSAŞ Aksungur Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) and 6 additional T129 ATAK attack helicopters from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ).
Detailed in an operational infographic released on October 25, 2026, marking the upcoming first-year tenure of Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the upcoming acquisition doubles the NAF’s current rotary attack fleet—expanding its T129 inventory from 6 to 12 platforms—while introducing long-endurance, satellite-controlled twin-engine UCAVs into its inventory. The procurement is designed to reinforce frontline counter-insurgency (COIN) operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) combatants across the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel regions, integrating with ongoing acquisitions of 12 Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and Chinese CASC CH-4D drones.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR UCAV & T129 ATAK ROTARY FLEET
Procurement Authority, OEM & Fleet Structure
⚡ Primary OEM Prime: Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ — Ankara, Türkiye)
⚡ Sponsoring Service Branch: Nigerian Air Force (NAF Headquarters / Air Council)
⚡ Operational Leadership: Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke (Chief of the Air Staff)
⚡ Planned Fleet Allocations:
• Rotary Combat Fleet: 6× Existing T129 ATAKs + 6× Additional T129 ATAKs (Total: 12) | 12× Incoming Bell AH-1Z Vipers
• Unmanned Strike/ISR Fleet: 12× TUSAŞ Aksungur MALE UCAVs | Supplemented by Chinese CASC CH-4D and Wing Loong II UCAVs 
TUSAŞ Aksungur MALE UCAV Technical Baseline
💥 Platform Dimensions & Airframe Geometry: Length: 12.5 m | Wingspan: 24.0 m | Height: 3.1 m | Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW): 3,300 kg (7,275 lb)
💥 Powerplant Architecture: 2× TEI-PD170 twin-turbocharged inline-4 turbodiesel engines generating 170 hp each
💥 Flight Kinematics & Loiter Envelope: Cruise Speed: 250 km/h | Operational Ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,192 m) | Endurance: >50 hours (ISR baseline) / 24+ hours (carrying 750 kg weapon payload)
💥 Internal Payload Capacity: 750 kg total payload across 6 underwing hardpoints (compatible with Roketsan MAM-L, MAM-C, CİRİT, and TEBER precision-guided munitions)
💥 C4ISR & SATCOM Suite: Integrated Ku/Ka-band Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) satellite control array paired with ASELSAN CATS / ASELFLIR-500 EO/IR targeting turrets
T129 ATAK Combat Helicopter Architecture
🚀 Platform Performance & Airframe: Length: 13.45 m | Rotor Diameter: 11.90 m | MTOW: 5,000 kg | Powerplant: 2× LHTEC T800-4A turboshaft engines (1,361 shp each)
🚀 Kinematic Envelope: Max Speed: 278 km/h (150 knots) | Combat Radius: 556 km | Service Ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
🚀 Primary Armament Suite:
• Nose Turret: 1× 20mm TM197B 3-barrel Gatling cannon (500-round capacity)
• Wing Stub Hardpoints (4 Stations): Podded 70mm unguided rockets, Roketsan CİRİT 70mm laser-guided rockets, UMTAS anti-tank guided missiles, and air-to-air Stinger missiles
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The Nigerian Air Force’s planned procurement of 12 Aksungur UCAVs and 6 additional T129 ATAK helicopters represents a key structural expansion of its strike and ISR capabilities in West Africa. Operating across broad, semi-arid terrain against highly mobile insurgent units requires a balance of long-duration persistence and rapid precision firepower.
From an engineering and force-projection perspective, introducing the twin-engine Aksungur platform provides the NAF with a major operational upgrade. Powered by TEI-PD170 turbodiesel engines and operating under SATCOM control, the Aksungur offers over 50 hours of endurance—allowing continuous aerial screening over the Lake Chad Basin without relying on short-range ground control relays. Pairing long-endurance Aksungur surveillance with high-agility T129 ATAK attack helicopters allows the NAF to maintain a persistent sensor-to-shooter loop, cued by real-time aerial reconnaissance to conduct precise close air support (CAS) without exposing ground troops to ambush.
