From Our Correspondent
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has winged 12 combat pilots, with a charge that they contribute their best towards sustaining the counter-insurgency operations in the country.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, gave the charge during the winging of Basic Flying Course-20 at the 403 Flying Training School (FTS), on Thursday, in Kano.
Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information, gave an account of the winging ceremony in a statement mailed to TheNewsZenith on Thusday.
Gabkwet quoted Abubakar as asking the now combat pilots to justify the efforts and resources invested in their training.
CAS charged them to contribute their best towards sustaining the successes recorded in the various theatres of operations.
According to him, NAF has continued to conduct independent and joint operations. These are aim at decimating the criminals and denying them freedom of action.
NAF is also shaping the operational environment in the various theatres,” he said.
He added that injecting new pilots to add energy and bite to the operations, can only sustain the theatres.
Abubakar underscored of the ceremony as coming at a time when NAF has immensely benefitted from the Federal Government’s gesture.
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The Federal Government, CAS said, has provided necessary platforms and equipment to combat 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 is further exacerbated by the anticipated arrival of new platforms like M-346, AH-1Z, A-109 Trekker and the remaining T-129 ATAK helicopters.”
“For NAF to bridge manpower gaps currently experienced, we must sustain a three-year training plan, to begin from January 2024. This is amid the availability of funding.”
In view of this projection, Abubakar said the graduation from Basic Flying Course 20 was gladdening. “It will bridge the pilot deficiency gap,” he noted.
CAS reminded the newly winged pilots of the current security environment of the country, which has remained fluid and unpredictable.
This is due to terrorists threats in the North and upsurge in banditry and kidnapping activities across the country.
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He, therefore, reminded the pilots that the journey was far from over. Hence, the need to continually strive to elevate the NAF to greater heights.
Earlier, the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Nnamdi Ananaba, said the graduation represented the final phase of a series of training activities aimed at producing fully qualified pilots for the NAF.
“Beyond merely producing qualified pilots for the NAF, the objective of the flying course is to produce knowledgeable pilots to operate the highly technical platforms being inducted into the NAF,” Ananaba said.
Establishment in Kano in 1967, 403 FTS has trained over 207 pilots for the NAF and other sister Air Forces.
Ananaba said additional 12 fast jet pilots is a significant boost to NAF preparedness to operate.
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