France’s ambassador to Niger has handed over two Gazelle helicopters to the Nigerien Air Force to support counter-terrorism operations, following on from an earlier Gazelle delivery.
The two aircraft (5U-MHL and 5U-MHM) were handed over by Sylvain Itte at Air Base 101 on 16 November, Niger’s Ministry of Defence reported.
Niger’s defence minister Alkassoum Indattout said the delivery brings the number of Gazelles received from France to five. They will be used for combat support of ground troops, medical evacuation, reconnaissance and liaison, amongst others, demonstrating “the rising strength of the Air Force.”
In another donation, the German military on 1 November supplied fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles, offroad vehicles and other equipment to Niger’s armed forces. In September, the United States handed over eight OTT Puma M36 vehicles to Niger’s military to help in its fight against terrorism, along with 43 Toyota Land Cruisers and other equipment worth $13 million.