The Nigerian Navy has significantly enhanced its capabilities with the acquisition of three Italian-made Leonardo A-109 Trekker helicopters.
The handover ceremony, which took place at Caverton Helicopters Limited's hangar facilities in Ikeja, Lagos, in southern Nigeria, was attended by high-ranking officials, including the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
The A-109 Trekkers feature a luxurious VIP configuration with full leather interiors and a noise attenuation system for a comfortable ride, the navy said in a statement.
Their landing skids allow for increased loading capacity compared to wheeled helicopters, making them ideal for transporting personnel and cargo.
"Additionally, the helicopters are designed with auxiliary tanks which give them extended endurance of up to 3 hrs 40 mins," the statement reads. "Thus, the helicopter could be used for long-range transport flights."
The versatile helicopters are also designed to be easily retrofitted with specialized mission equipment, adding further flexibility to the Nigerian Navy's operations.