The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Hassan Abubakar, has disclosed that 12 new aircraft were procured by the Federal Government for the Nigerian Air Force, (NAF), in the last one year, even as it is expecting to take delivery of more aircraft in the coming months.
Mr. Abubakar, an Air Marshall, disclosed this on Friday during the Air War Course 10/2024 graduation ceremony of the Air Force War College Nigeria in Makurdi.
The CAS said the newly acquired aircraft were deployed to service between September 2023 and September 2024.
“In line with the Federal Government’s resolve to adequately equip the Nigerian Air Force for the safe conduct of training and agile airpower employment to meet the nation’s security challenges, it is indeed gladdening to note that, between the last Air War Course graduation in September last year and today, we have taken delivery of 12 new platforms.
“These include four Diamond 62 surveillance aircraft; two King Air 360 light transport aircraft, 4 x T-129 ATAK helicopters and 2 x Agusta Westland 109 Trekker.
“Moving forward, the NAF is poised to take delivery of 24 x M-346 fighter aircraft6 and 10 additional Agusta Westland 109 Trekker helicopters from Italy.
“Others are 3 x CASA 295 transport aircraft from Spain and 12 x AH-1Z Vipper helicopters from the United States,” he said.
The CAS further said the Air Force, in collaboration with other sister agencies, has the capacity to address diverse security challenges in the country.
“To this end, while we augment our airpower measures and approaches, we will promote seamless interoperability of equipment and joint force employment by the services.
“Therefore, I expect you all to cooperate with other services and security agencies because this is crucial to meet the high expectations of Nigerians on us, to restore peace and security and ensure a safe and prosperous nation,” he added.
The Air Chief admonished the graduates to remain relentless in the pursuit of knowledge, true to the core values of integrity, selfless service and excellence.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for his continued support to the Air, saying, “We are determined to restore peace in the country.”
his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Muhammad Abubakar, said the nation is currently facing multifaceted security challenges which threaten peace, unity and prosperity.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Ibrahim Kana, he enjoined the Armed Forces to provide innovative and proactive methods to combat security challenges in the country.
“As we gather here today, our nation faces multifaceted security challenges which threaten our peace, unity, and prosperity. Therefore, we need innovative and proactive methods to combat the rise of these violent non-state actors, asymmetric warfare, and complex security threats.
“The Nigerian Air Force has been at the forefront in addressing these challenges, and your training at this esteemed institution has equipped you with the necessary skills to contribute to this effort,” he said.
The Commandant of the College, Adebayo Kehinde, said that 26 participants graduated after a nine-month study programme.
Mr. Kehinde, an Air Vice Marshal, said the graduates comprised 17 representatives of the NAF, two each from the Nigeria Navy and Nigerian Army, two from the National Defence College, one from the Ghana Air Force and two from the Cameroon Air Force.