60th Anniversary: NAF Nigerian Air force to take delivery of 48 Fighter Aircraft to combat insecurity; As Air Chiefs from 10 Foreign Countries are set to Converge in Nigeria

The Nigerian Air force is set to take delivery of 48 fighter aircraft comprising attack jets and helicopters with capabilities to police the nation’s vast ungoverned spaces particularly forests and desert areas while at the same time, intercepting and decimating criminal elements, terrorists and kidnappers hibernating and fanning the embers of insecurity in the country.

Towards this end, 12 AH attack helicopters from the US, with 6 expected by the end of 2024, 24 M-346 fighter jets from Italy, which are expected to replace the Alpha –Jets in due course, and another 12 AW-109 helicopter Trekker’s from Italy are expected to be delivered to the NAF by the year 2025.

This was made known at a press briefing to flag off the activities for the 60th anniversary of the Nigerian Air force with Chairman of the organizing committee, Air Vice Marshal Michael Ekwueme disclosing that 10 Chiefs of Air Staff, from foreign countries across Africa, Europe and other countries have signified their interests to participate in the anniversary celebration adding that over 2,000 participants from across the world would impact the occasion.

Air Vice Marshal Ekwueme used the opportunity to call on residents of Kaduna and the FCT where the activities for the anniversary, including Fly-Past, airborne demonstrations will be conducted, not to panic as a result of the influx of Nigerian Air force operational and other assets into the cities noting that their deployments will only be for the occasion.

He disclosed that consequent upon the prevailing economic environment in the country and saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the milestones achieved by the NAF in the last 60 years did not go unnoticed, the leadership of the NAF came up with the innovation of raising funds through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements to celebrate the anniversary.

“Hence, we are leveraging on foreign partnership with manufacturers, technology companies from abroad including the USA, Britain, Turkey, Italy, China and many others in the area of research and development while local content participation from industries within the country led by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, will seize the opportunities to showcase their capabilities to the outside world.

The Chairman added that a research and development exhibition for aerospace equipment and technology involving companies from various countries with hold at the International Conference Centre in Abuja where the latest in aircraft technology and modern airpower equipment deployment will be on display

“For the first time, the NAF is adopting a Public Private Partnership model to organize and fund this event. A company, the Great Minds Event Management based in Dubai is bringing in foreign exhibitors and participants to participate in the Conference and Exhibition as well as sponsor the event in various degrees.

“Local exhibitors will also be participating. Furthermore, we have secured sponsorships from some state governments and organizations. Some of our sponsors include Rivers, Enugu, Taraba, Kaduna and Bauchi State Governments. We also have the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory, Air Peace and Transcorp Hilton. There are also some companies including CATIC, ALIT and CETC.

“The event will be a good platform to showcase the capabilities of our local defence companies. DICON will be leading Nigerian military industrial complex made up of several local defence equipment manufacturers such as EPAIL, a local manufacturer of ballistic vests, helmets and armoured vehicles.

Speaking on whether the deployment of aircraft and other NAF assets for the celebrations during the weeklong event will not impact on operations against terrorists, kidnappers and oil theft in the country, AVM Ekwueme said, the NAF had its plans worked out and that there will be no vacuum in any operation.

“This is not our first time and such activities have never impacted on our operations at any time and this will not be different”, he said

Expatiating on the new fighter aircraft, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, Director of NAF Public Relations, said, “In the next few months/years, the Nigerian Air force is going to be the third largest Air Force in Africa. You are going to see changes. The NAF will become more formidable. All of those ungoverned spaces, forests etc, from where criminal elements operate from and create insecurity problems for the country, will become accessible quicker and the terrorists, bandits, kidnappers will be decimated.

“We are going to further degrade the activities of criminal elements involved in oil theft, illegal refineries operators in the Niger Delta. We are going to protect our farmers, their farmlands and further encourage farming. This will impact greatly on our economic development and ultimately the nation will develop faster.”

The theme of the celebration is “Nigerian Air Force at 60: Leveraging Strategic Partnerships in Aerospace Innovations for Regional Security”.