All arrangements have been made by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to take delivery of 50 brand new aircraft between December this year and 2026, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.
Air Marshal Abubakar also vowed that despite achieving successes in ensuring adversaries wreaking havoc in different zones of the country were being taken out every day, the Air Force would still step up its counter-insurgency operations.
The NAF had a few months ago taken into its inventory some aircraft including combat helicopters and the fighter jets, Super Tucano.
The Air Chief spoke during the CAS Second Biannual Meeting with Headquarters (HQ) NAF Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) of NAF field commands and Commandants of Tri-Service and Major NAF institutions, explaining that the development became imperative in order to sustain the already expanded counter-insurgency operation in the North West.
In his opening remarks at he beginning of the 2-day meeting on October 17, 2024 holding at the Air Marshal MD Umar Blue Room, HQ NAF, Air Marshal Abubakar congratulated those newly appointed to their roles, emphasizing that the appointments were indicative of their pedigree of hard work and dedication.
He urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and loyalty as they steer their respective Branches and Commands to greater heights.
According to a statement on the meeting by NAF Spokesperson, Air Commodore Olusola F. Akinboyewa, the CAS, while addressing the security challenges facing the nation, and speaking particularly to the expanded counterinsurgency operations in the North-West as well as anti-oil theft operations in the South-South, commended the transformational leadership of the AOCs and Branch Chiefs.
The statement added that Air Marshal Abubakar “credited their tireless efforts for the significant results seen on the ground, but emphasised the need for continued innovation, resilience, and adaptability to confront evolving threats.
“The CAS also reflected on the NAF’s recent achievements, noting the induction of 12 aircraft into the Service inventory in the past year, with an additional 50 aircraft expected by 2026.
“He described this development as a “Golden Era” of transformation for the NAF, expressing optimism that under the leadership of the current Branch Chiefs and AOCs, the Air Force would continue to rise to the occasion and fulfil the air power requirements of national security.
“The meeting serves as a platform for critical review and recalibration of strategies to enhance the operational effectiveness of the NAF.
“In this light, the CAS employed the analogy of Colonel John Boyd’s “Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) Loop” decision-making framework, to drive home the need for commanders to continuously assess, adapt, and act decisively to stay ahead of security challenges.
“The CAS also used the opportunity to reaffirm the NAF’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a safer and stronger Nigeria, pledging the absolute support of the NAF in contributing to national security and stability.
“He noted in particular Mr President’s determination to ensure that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is equipped with the best weapons, platforms and logistics to effectively carry out it’s constitutional role.
“The CAS also expressed appreciation to members of the 39 Regular Course there present, for their continued support and their enormous wealth of experience which undoubtedly had been a critical contributor to the NAF’s ongoing transformation.
“He called for open, objective and constructive dialogue during the two-day meeting, expressing confidence that the outcomes would further consolidate the NAF’s capabilities for decisive airpower employment to ensure the security, safety and prosperity of the country.”
