NAF Acquires Modern Weapons, Sophisticated Crafts for Counter-terrorism

Senator Iroegbu The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Adesola Amosu, yesterday disclosed that Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in the past one year, had purchased different aircraft and armoury with which they were able to record significant success in the ongoing counterterrorism and counter-insurgency onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east.

Amosu, who spoke to PRNigeria yesterday on the celebration of 51st anniversary of the force in Abuja, said some of their latest acquisition was in the area of continuation of fleet, logistics and infrastructural renewal, which include acquisition of new aircraft like the King Air 350, Mi- Series Helicopter Gunship, UAVs and DA-42 Diamond Aircraft.

“I am happy to inform you that so much have been achieved for the NAF within the period under review,” he said.

In addition, he said the NAF had successfully installed and programmed newly-acquired Harris 7850 multiband radios in the North-east to aid operations against insurgency.

The air force boss also disclosed achievements relating to reactivation and restoration of existing platforms. Some of the existing platforms reactivated within the period under review included the C-130 aircraft, Super Puma Helicopter Gunship and DO-228.

He revealed that the NAF, which had been playing a pivotal role in the battle against terrorism, also successfully conducted periodic deport maintenance and A-Check of Alpha Jet aircraft, C-130H aircraft, Mi-35P Heli and G-222 aircraft while also providing adequate spares for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of aircraft.

Amosu recalled that NAF was formally established on April 1964, with the passage of the Air Force Act 1964 by the Nigerian Parliament with the objectives of defending the federal republic by air and giving effective training to its personnel in the air as well as on the ground.

Over the years, he noted, the NAF had progressively grown to its present enviable position and has proudly justified its existence by performing its constitutional roles.

Amosu mentioned some of the notable accomplishments of NAF as successful participation in the civil war less than three years after its establishment; supporting government policy on apartheid as a frontline state by providing strategic airlift of arms and logistics supplies to Mozambique, Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe; and participating in peace support operations in countries such as Lebanon, Chad, Yugoslavia, Sudan and Mali.

“Others are combat deployment of NAF to support Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire and recently Mali, training of pilots and engineers for West African countries like Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, Sierra Leone and Niger, internal security operations conducted nationwide and on many occasions (Maitasine and other ethnic and religion disturbances); and counterterrorism counter-insurgency operations in the North east,” he said.

Speaking further, the CAS said under his command, the force had continued to provide air support through armed reconnaissance, ground attacks, combat air patrol, close air support, intelligence, surveillance as evidenced in the ongoing war against insurgency in addition to establishing four Forward Operational Bases (FOBs) at strategic parts of the country for quick intervention and deployment.