Counter-Insurgency: NAF Expands Airpower with 12 Newly Winged Combat Pilots
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar has charged 12 newly winged pilots of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to justify the efforts and resources invested in their training by contributing their best towards sustaining the successes recorded in the various theatres of operation within the country.
According to Air Marshal Abubakar, the Service has continued to conduct independent and joint operations aimed at not only decimating the criminals and denying them freedom of action but also shaping the operational environment in the various theatres.
This, he said, can only be sustained with the injection of new and vibrant pilots to add energy and bite to the operations. The CAS stated this today, 23 November 2023, at the winging ceremony of Basic Flying Course-20 at the 403 Flying Training School (FTS), Kano.
Speaking further, Air Marshal Abubakar noted that the winging ceremony was significant, coming at a time when the NAF has immensely benefitted from the Federal Government’s determination to provide necessary platforms and equipment in the fight against terrorism, insurgency and other forms of criminality.
According to him, the acquisition of new platforms comes with the attendant consequences on manpower, training, and operating costs.
This challenge, he said, is further exacerbated by the anticipated arrival of an array of new platforms such as the M-346, AH-1Z, A-109 Trekker, and the remaining T-129 ATAK helicopters.
He therefore added that for the NAF to bridge the manpower gaps currently experienced, a 3-year training plan to commence from January 2024 must be sustained amid the availability of funding. It was in view of this projection, according to the CAS, that the graduation of the Basic Flying Course 20 was gladdening, as it serves to bridge the pilot deficiency gap.
