CAS to Air Force War College Participants: You Are the Future of Air Power in Nigeria

Linus Aleke in Abuja

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, yesterday, told participants of the Air Force War College (AFWC) Course 11/2025 that they were the future of air power in Nigeria.

Abubakar stressed that the participants’ leadership, professionalism, and resilient would shape Nigerian Air Force’s ability to respond to present and future security challenges.

Abubakar made the assertions while delivering a lecture, titled, “Military Strategic Leadership in Air Operations: My Perspective.”

He urged the next generation of Air Force leaders to embrace the challenges of strategic command.

A statement by Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, stated that the CAS also lauded the federal government’s strategic support to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), highlighting its tangible impact on the country’s ongoing counterinsurgency and national security operations.

Abubakar stated that the targeted investment by the administration of President Bola Tinubu had significantly bolstered the operational capabilities of NAF.

He stated that the recent delivery of nine brand-new aircraft added critical capabilities to NAF’s fleet, enabling more precise and sustained operations across various theatres.

According to him, “These platforms are already making a measurable impact in key operations geared towards enhancing national security. The NAF is expecting an additional 49 aircraft, with several scheduled for delivery in the coming months.

“These acquisitions will further expand the Service’s capacity to execute complex missions and maintain momentum in ongoing air operations.”

Providing an overview of operational achievements, the CAS disclosed that in the past year alone, NAF flew over 4,500 hours across 2,304 sorties, executing nearly 2,000 counterinsurgency missions.

The CAS emphasised, “Additionally, over 2,600 anti-banditry sorties were carried out, resulting in 4,670 hours of flight time.

“In support of efforts to combat economic sabotage, the NAF conducted 366 sorties targeting crude oil theft and illegal refining, amassing more than 1,450 hours of flight time. These figures are not mere statistics; they represent real missions, real risks, and real outcomes.”

He also reported that between June 2023 and the present, over 3,496 terrorists were neutralised in the North-east alone, with more than 121,000 insurgents and their families surrendering to security forces.

On the economic front, Abubakar acknowledged the significant contribution of air operations under Operation DELTA SAFE, saying, “Through the strategic deployment of both kinetic and non-kinetic air power, we have disrupted oil theft syndicates and secured critical infrastructure.”