Air Force Gets 12 Fighter Aircraft Against Insecurity

Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken delivery of 12 aircraft to boost the fight against banditry and insurgency in the country.

The chief of air staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar revealed this yesterday at the graduation of the participants of the War College Course 10/2024 in Makurdi, Benue State.

Abubakar said the fighter aero planes included four Diamond Surveillance Aircraft, two Kings Air 360 Light Transport Aircraft, four T129 ATAK Helicopters and two Agusta Westland 109 Trekker.

He said NAF would soon take delivery of another 24 XM-346 fighter aircraft and 10 additional Agusta Westland 109 Trekker Helicopters from Italy. Others also on the way are three CASA 295 Transport Aircraft from Spain and 12 X AH 1Z Viper Helicopters from the United States (US).

Air Marshal Abubakar, who commended the management and participants of the War College, said their graduation marked a major milestone not only for participants but NAF and the country at large.

The air chief said the training would help the officers to contribute towards fulfilling the constitutional role of NAF and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

He said, “The dynamic nature of these threats poses new challenges to security forces and they require innovative and proactive methods in tackling them because doctrinal development, operational planning and equipment-provisioning must also consider the complexity of such threats.

Earlier, the minister of Defence, Muhammed Abubakar, acknowledged the contributions of the War College to human capacity development in the Armed Forces of Nigeria, which, he said led to the current successes recorded by the military in various theatres of operations across the country.

The minister, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, lamented the threats by non-state actors, asymmetric warfare and complex security challenges, which, he said, are on the rise creating a more complex strategic environment at the global, regional, national and state levels.

Represented by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Ibrahim Abubakar, the minister commended the NAF for constantly repositioning itself with a strong focus on human capital development to strengthen its operational effectiveness

He said, “Air power, as a decisive and indispensable aspect of the physical components to combat power, has remained a formidable force in the preservation of our nation’s territorial integrity.

“Aside the efforts of NAF towards enhancing internal security in the country, the Service has also attracted tremendous goodwill and credibility to the country over the years through the provision of airlift and humanitarian support for the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and friendly African countries.”

“I am equally glad that the Nigerian Air Force has placed a premium on operational art as well as critical thinking in addition to other pragmatic frameworks for military decision-making processes in the curriculum of the Air Force War College. This, no doubt, will enhance the probability of success of operational plans and develop a culture of pro-activeness in operational planning and management particularly in the Nigerian Air Force and in the Armed Forces of Nigeria at large.”

In his welcome address, the commandant of the Air Force War College, Air Vice Marshal Gabriel Kehinde, said the college’s academic activities are tailored towards bridging the skills and manpower-gap in airpower for the effective conduct of air operations.

“Today, we are graduating the 10th set of participants of the college which is a clear indication that the laudable ideas and the philosophy of the chief of air staff which are deliberate training and mission-oriented force development had indeed taken its root for the overall benefit of the NAF and our dear nation.

“I am therefore optimistic that in the near future, the Service will further begin to feel the impact of establishing this college through better application of strategic planning and the implementation of doctrines,” he said.

According to him, the Air War College Course 10/2024 graduated 26 participants, 17 from the Air Force, two from the Nigerian Army, two from Nigerian Navy, two from the Cameroonian Army, one from Ghanaian Army, and two civilians from the National Defence College, Abuja, with the hope of extending it to five African countries next year.