Fresh reports indicate that a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (reg. 07-7175) touched down at the NAF Base in Kainji on Friday night.
According to military sources, the aircraft likely carry intelligence support equipment for ongoing ground operations in Nigeria.
Kainji Air Base is one of the largest air bases in Africa. In 2023 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent $38 million to upgrade the base to enhance its capacity to support operations of the A-29 Super Tucano fleet as part of the $500 acquisition deal.
The landing of the US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (reg. 07-7175) at Nigerian Air Force Kainji Base is a significant development.
The aircraft was previously tracked in Accra on Thursday and Lagos on Friday morning before its arrival in Niger State.
Kainji has been extensively upgraded by the US in recent years following Nigeria’s acquisition of Super Tucano aircraft.
The facility is positioned to be a primary hub for US operations if they decide to deploy ground forces or drones on Nigerian soil.
According to a private source familiar with the military deal between the US and Nigeria, the US will be allowed to conduct UAV airstrikes against terrorist targets inside Nigeria, the scope only include unmanned aircrafts (UAVs), not fighter jets or bombers.
The American counterpart will mainly fill the ISR gaps of the Nigerian army with manned and/or unmanned aircrafts, and will likely (still unconfirmed) use the Kainji Air Base in Niger State as a launchpad.
The US military earlier in the week confirmed the deployment of soldiers to Nigeria to help tackle the rapidly growing terrorist attacks in the country.
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