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Nigeria M-346FA Delivery: Timeline and Pilot Training Status

Nigeria M-346FA delivery has moved from an open-ended promise to a concrete, if unfinished, milestone. The first three Leonardo M-346FA fighter-attack jets passed factory acceptance testing in Italy between 29 June and 9 July 2026, and the Nigerian Air Force announced the result on 27 July. At the time of writing, none of the sources reviewed confirms that any of the aircraft has landed in Nigeria, and no public timetable exists for the remaining 21. This article sets out what has been ordered, what has been accepted, what is known about pilot training and what is still unconfirmed.

Nigeria M-346FA Delivery at a Glance

The Nigeria M-346FA delivery programme covers 24 aircraft, delivered in four tranches of six for two Nigerian Air Force squadrons. Only the first three airframes, serialled NAF 01 to NAF 03, have reached the acceptance stage. The table separates what has been published from what has not.

Item	Status
Order size	24 M-346FA, four tranches of six, two squadrons
Reported value	About €1.2 billion (roughly $1.4 billion)
First three jets	Passed factory acceptance testing at Venegono Superiore, 29 June to 9 July
Announcement	27 July, by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the air force’s public relations director
Arrival in Nigeria	Not confirmed; defenceWeb reported an expectation of December
Remaining 21 jets	No published schedule
Support	25-year logistics and maintenance package
Base and squadron	Not publicly named

How the Order Reached Factory Acceptance

Reports differ on when the contract was signed. Military Africa places the order in August 2021, while Quwa says the Nigerian presidency confirmed it in May 2023. Both agree on the scale: 24 aircraft worth roughly €1.2 billion, or about $1.4 billion.

The schedule has slipped more than once. In April 2024, Leonardo’s vice president for Africa sales, Claudio Sabatino, told the air force that the first batch of six would arrive before the end of that year. In October 2024, after a visit to the Italian plant, then Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar said the first jet was due in early 2025, with six already in production.

The Defense Post reported in December 2025, citing Business Insider Africa, that six aircraft were in advanced production, three were still in flight testing and airframe deliveries were expected through the following year. The first airframe flew in full Nigerian Air Force livery on 27 April, according to Quwa. Acceptance followed in July, roughly a year and a half behind the original target.

Nigeria M-346FA Delivery Timeline: Confirmed and Unconfirmed

The record is clearer on past milestones than on future ones. The table below lists dated statements and who made them.

Date	Milestone	Source type
April 2024	First six promised before year-end	Leonardo statement, reported by defenceWeb
October 2024	First jet expected in early 2025	Air force chief, reported by Military Africa and FlightGlobal
27 April	First jet flies in Nigerian livery	Reported by Quwa
29 June to 9 July	Factory acceptance testing of NAF 01 to 03	Nigerian Air Force statement
27 July	Result announced in Abuja	Nigerian Air Force statement
By December (expected)	First three due in Nigeria	defenceWeb report; no official date published

Factory acceptance is a handover check, not an arrival. The delegation from the air force and the Ministry of Defence verified contractual, technical and airworthiness requirements before the aircraft were cleared for delivery. Ferrying or shipping the jets, reassembly if needed, and formal induction are separate steps.

The air force’s helicopter deliveries from the same manufacturer offer a rough comparison. Three AW109 Trekkers finished acceptance testing in Italy on 3 July, arrived in Lagos on 15 September and were formally accepted at Ikeja on 6 October, according to Military Africa. No equivalent arrival report exists for the jets.

Pilot Training Status: What Is Public

Public information on aircrew training is thin. Reports say Nigerian pilots will train with the Italian Air Force at the International Flight Training School in Galatina and at Decimomannu air base in Sardinia. During the July visit, the delegation also discussed pilot and maintenance training with Leonardo and toured the full mission simulator and virtual-reality training rigs for aircrew and technicians.

In April 2024, Leonardo told Janes that pilot and engineering training would begin that year. defenceWeb reported at the same time that further engagement was still needed to settle the start of pilot and technician training. None of the sources reviewed confirms that a Nigerian pilot has flown the M-346FA, and no figures exist for the number of aircrew selected.

The intended training pipeline is more specific. According to Military Africa, student pilots would move from the A-29 Super Tucano to the M-346FA and then to the JF-17. That makes the jet a lead-in fighter trainer as well as a light attack aircraft, a dual role the air force has stressed.

Maintenance, Technicians and Support

Ground-crew training is better documented than flying instruction. Thirteen Nigerian Air Force personnel, four officers and nine airmen and airwomen, began a maintenance course on 13 July with classroom work in Turin. Hands-on training at Venegono Superiore ended on 25 September, and a final engine-run phase for two officers and four airmen was due to end on 25 October. The full account is in our report on the M-346FA maintenance course in Italy.

Leonardo’s package includes 25 years of logistics and maintenance support, and Quwa reports that the company is setting up a maintenance hub in Nigeria. Abubakar had stressed the need for such a hub in 2024. Each tranche is described as including weapons, support equipment, tools, spares, and training and logistics support.

What the M-346FA Is Meant to Do

The M-346FA is the fighter-attack derivative of the M-346 Master trainer. It carries the Grifo-346 multimode radar, a defensive aids suite, a tactical datalink and a helmet-mounted display, and is powered by two Honeywell F124-GA-200 turbofans. Reports give seven hardpoints (defenceWeb, Military Africa) or nine (Janes), so the count should be treated as unsettled. Payload is reported at more than 2,000 kg.

Parameter	Reported figure
Engines	Two Honeywell F124-GA-200 turbofans
Top speed	Near Mach 0.95
Service ceiling	About 13,716 m (45,000 ft)
Range	About 1,925 to 1,963 km, depending on source
Weapons cleared for Nigeria	AIM-9 Sidewinder, IRIS-T, AGM-65 Maverick, guided bombs, gun pods
To be replaced	Alpha Jet, L-39ZA Albatros, MB-339AN

Nigeria is using a mixed fleet in its campaign against armed groups, including JF-17 fighters, A-29 Super Tucanos and armed drones. Our profile of the expected Aksungur drones and T129 helicopters covers part of that pipeline, and why Nigeria bought the T129 ATAK explains the attack-helicopter side. Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke has said the jet will add precision strike, close air support and air interdiction capacity.

Why the Delivery Date Matters

The Alpha Jet, L-39ZA and MB-339AN fleets are ageing, and the M-346FA is meant to replace them. Until Nigeria M-346FA delivery is complete, with trained pilots and a working support chain, the replacement remains on paper. Each month of delay extends reliance on older airframes for training and light attack work.

The wider ranking also depends on it. Nigeria is one of the larger air arms in West Africa, and where it sits among peers is examined in our ranking of the strongest air forces in Africa. A modern lead-in trainer would change the training pipeline more than the order of battle on day one.

What to Watch Next

Several events would settle the open questions on Nigeria M-346FA delivery. None has been announced with a date.

The first confirmed arrival of NAF 01 to NAF 03 in Nigeria, and the base that receives them.
A formal induction ceremony and the naming of the first squadron.
The start of a pilot conversion course, in Italy or in Nigeria, with a stated number of trainees.
Delivery dates for the other three aircraft of the first tranche and for the 18 in later tranches.
Progress on the maintenance hub in Nigeria.

Editors and readers should treat any arrival date as provisional until the air force or Leonardo publishes one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Nigeria received its M-346FA jets?

Not according to the sources reviewed. The first three aircraft passed factory acceptance testing in Italy in July and were cleared for delivery, but no report confirms their arrival in Nigeria. The remaining 21 aircraft have no published schedule. Acceptance in Italy and induction in Nigeria are separate milestones.

When will the first M-346FA arrive in Nigeria?

No official date has been published. defenceWeb reported an expectation that the first three would be in Nigeria by December. That figure is a press report, not a Nigerian Air Force or Leonardo commitment, and earlier targets of 2024 and early 2025 were both missed, so it should be treated as provisional.

Are Nigerian pilots training on the M-346FA?

Plans exist but confirmation is lacking. Reports say pilots will train with the Italian Air Force at Galatina and Decimomannu, and a delegation toured the simulator in July. No source gives a start date, a course size or confirmation that a Nigerian pilot has flown the type. Technician training, by contrast, has been reported in detail.

How many M-346FA is Nigeria buying and at what cost?

Nigeria ordered 24 aircraft in four tranches of six for two squadrons. The value is reported at about €1.2 billion, or roughly $1.4 billion, and includes a 25-year logistics and maintenance package. Contract dates differ between reports, so the signing year is cited differently across outlets.

Sources

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Adrian Cole Administrator All articles

Africa defence and security correspondent at DefenceMENA, covering procurement, defence industry and armed forces across the continent.

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