The Chief of the Air Staff’s quest to re-professionalise the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) through capacity building initiatives has received a further boost with the winging of another young NAF combat pilot, Flying Officer Salihu Ibrahim Usman.
The pilot officer recently completed his Basic Fighter Introduction Course in the United States of America (USA).
The investiture, which took place on Tuesday, 16 October 2018, at the Chief of the Air Staff’s (CAS) Conference Room, Headquarters (HQ) NAF, has brought to 91 the total number of pilots winged within the past 3 years.
This is besides the 67 NAF officers who are currently undergoing flying training in various flying institutions both within and outside the country.
A statement by Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of NAF Public Relations and Information said, “It is therefore expected that by this time next year, the total number of new pilots would reach an unprecedented 158 in just 4 years.
“More remarkably, among the 67 student pilots, is the first female NAF student fighter pilot, who is currently undergoing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) in the USA, as well as another female student pilot, who is undergoing helicopter training in South Africa to become the first female helicopter pilot in the NAF”.
Speaking during the winging ceremony, the CAS, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, expressed delight to receive the pilot back from the USA and congratulated him for his outstanding performances during the SUPT and Basic Fighter Introduction Courses.
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He stated that the officer’s exceptional results on the various courses came as no surprise given his pedigree in emerging best graduating NAF Cadet in his course at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and also performing extremely well during the Initial Officer Training (IOT) Course at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell United Kingdom (UK).
He noted that these were, no doubt, evidences of the officer’s hard work, dedication and determination to succeed.
While urging the officer to sustain this level of commitment to duty, the CAS remarked that the young pilot was returning to the country at a time when the NAF, with the kind support of the Federal Government, was about to receive additional combat platforms in the shape of the A-29 Super Tucano and JF-17 Thunder Multi-Role Fighter.
He remarked that these new platforms would improve NAF’s ability to more effectively respond to national security imperatives.
Air Marshal Abubakar therefore advised the young officer to apply his newly acquired knowledge and skills to add value to the counter terrorism operations in the Northeast as well as ongoing operations in other parts of the country with a view to contributing his quota to the successes so far recorded.
The newly winged pilot was admitted into the NDA in August 2010 as a member of 62nd Regular Combatant Course, where he obtained a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
As the best Air Force Cadet in his course, he was nominated for IOT Course, at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell UK after which he was commissioned into the NAF as a Pilot Officer.
Thereafter, Flying Officer Usman was nominated for the SUPT where he earned the United States Air Force Silver Wing. Upon successful completion of the SUPT Course with outstanding performance, the USAF found him worthy of recommendation for the Basic Fighter Introduction Course.
He has a total of 265 flying hours on the Cessna 172, T-6A and T-38C aircraft types.
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