The Nigerian Air Force said yesterday that 60 personnel including pilots, engineers and technicians were trained on the use of the A29 Super Tucano fighter jets which departed United States for Nigeria on Wednesday.
This comes as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, yesterday winged another set of six helicopter pilots, who recently completed their basic flying training at Draken Helicopter Academy in the United Kingdom.
It said the personnel comprising pilots, engineers, technicians and other specialists had completed training on the use of the aircraft in United States.
“On the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, the CAS stated that about 60 NAF personnel, comprising pilots, engineers, technicians, and other specialists, have completed their training on the aircraft in the USA”, a NAF statement said.
The air force had said Thursday that the long awaited first batch of six A29 Super Tucano aircraft were on their way to Nigeria.
The fighter jets, it said, were expected to fly through five countries, notably, Canada, Spain, Greenland, Iceland and Algeria before arriving Nigeria.
Spokesman of the Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, told THISDAY that jet fighters would not fly through the Atlantic Ocean route meant for bigger aircraft.
“The six aircraft will be leapfrogged through five countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021”, it said.
He also explained that on the return path, the aircraft are expected to refuel and wait for a clement weather as they pass through those countries.
Speaking during the winging ceremony of the new set of pilots, in Abuja, Air Marshal Amao reiterated the importance of the human factor as the most critical airpower component that must be enhanced and sustained for effective and efficient performance.
This, he said, gave reason for the increase in manpower development witnessed in the NAF in recent times. He said the efforts made so far were expected to place the service in a dominant position to deliver on its constitutional role more effectively, especially in the light of NAF’s involvement in several internal security operations across the country.
“While encouraging the newly winged pilots, the CAS urged them not to rest on their oars as the feat they have achieved also comes with a burden of responsibility as so much is expected of them. He also advised them to continue to give their best to the service and the nation especially in the light of NAF’s involvement in several internal security operations across the country.
“The overall effect of these efforts is that the NAF, operating in synergy with sister services and other security agencies, will be better positioned to more effectively counter both domestic and foreign threats to the nation’s security and the wellbeing of our people”, he said.
Speaking further, Air Marshal Amao revealed that the NAF currently had a total of 195 officers and airmen/airwomen undergoing various training courses abroad cutting across several specialties and trades. He also stated that locally, 12 student pilots were undergoing basic fighter training at 403 Flying Training School, Kano while 10 others were undergoing basic transport training at 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna.
He said the courses were aimed at maintaining combat readiness by increasing the number of pilots to man existing aircraft, including the 26 new platforms acquired by the Federal Government in the past 6 years.
Air Marshal Amao also used the opportunity of the ceremony to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching support to the NAF.
Earlier, the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) James Gwani, noted that the winging of the pilots further lent credence to one of the key drivers of the CAS, which is to “pursue purposeful training and human capacity development”.
He added that the new pilots would undoubtedly further enhance NAF’s capacity for effective, efficient and timely employment of air power in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives.
While giving the highlights of the courses, the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP) stated that the Basic Flying Course 24B, which commenced from 27 February 20 to 20 June 21, included three phases: basic rotary wing phase, operational rotary wing phase and conversion phase.
The ceremony had in attendance branch chiefs, directors as well as relatives of the newly winged pilots.
