The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has disclosed that it will receive no less than fifty new aircraft between now and next year to intensify fight against banditry in the North-West and Nigeria at large.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Bala Abubakar made the revelation in Katsina State while inspecting some key projects commissioned at the 213 Forward Operational Base in the state.
He explained, “This is especially true as we witness rapid aircraft acquisition and expansion of our order of battle in the service. Ladies and gentlemen, we expect no less than fifty aircraft between now and next year.
“These pending acquisitions include 12 AH-1 attack helicopter, 24 M-346 attack aircrafts, 12 Augusta Westland 109 helicopters and two Casa 295 medium airlift aircrafts,” Abubakar said.
The Chief of Air Staff while commissioning the taxi way link, two aircraft hangers, operation and engineering buildings, a purpose armouring, 3.2 kilometers long perimeter fence, and five aside standard football pitch, said all these constituted a “high-component of the highly protected and mission-oriented and objectively focused operation centre.”
He added that the projects will display NAF’s relentless commitment and dedication in aggressively tackling the menace of banditry affecting the country, reiterating that the personnel will no longer risk their lives going outside the base in search of where to keep fit but utilise the sporting facilities.
The NAF boss then thanked the federal and state government for the support in the fight against the menace of banditry affecting the country and the North West in particular, saluting also the efforts and gallantry performance of the personnel for keeping up to their responsibility for effective service delivery.
