AUGUST 31, 2017
Reuters Staff
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has notified the U.S.
Congress of the sale to Nigeria of 12 Super Tucano A-29 planes and weapons
worth $593 million, which the West African country wants for its fight against
the militant group Boko Haram.
The Federal Register on Monday published the Aug. 2
notification from the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The sale
includes thousands of bombs and rockets and was originally agreed by former
President Barack Obama’s administration.
The Super Tucano A-29, an agile, propeller-driven plane
with reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attack capabilities, is made by
Brazil’s Embraer. A second production line is in Florida, in a partnership
between Embraer and privately held Sierra Nevada Corp of Sparks, Nevada.
The Super Tucano costs more than $10 million each and the
price can go much higher depending on the configuration. It is powered by a
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT 6 engine.
The Obama administration delayed the deal after incidents
including the Nigerian Air Force’s bombing of a refugee camp in January that
killed 90 to 170 civilians.
President Donald Trump has said he plans to go ahead with
foreign defense sales delayed under Obama by human rights concerns.
(This story corrects headline and paragraphs 1 and 2 to
reflect that the notification was made on Aug. 2, not on Monday)
Reporting by Mike Stone; Writing by Mohammad Zargham;
Editing by Sandra Maler
Original post: reuters.com
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