Finish off insurgents, Buratai tells
troops
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will take
delivery of war -planes and
helicopters from Pakistan and Russia
to boost its fleet ahead of the final
push against Boko Haram insurgents,
it was learnt yesterday.
Nigeria has failed to procure fighter
jets from the United States and
Brazil.
Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal
Sadique Abubakar, who broke the
news in Abuja, said Air Force
personnel were undergoing training
in many countries, including the
United States, United Kingdom,
Pakistan, Egypt and China.
The news came as Chief of Army Staff
Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai ordered his
men to end the insurgency this
month.



Air Marshal Abubakar said: “We have
been enjoying support from other
countries. Sometimes arms
procurement is shrouded in a lot of
politics. Unfortunately, I’m not a
politician, so I cannot say much on
that. But what I can tell you is that
right now we are expecting the
Pakistani Chief of Air Staff in Nigeria
soon. Pakistan has accepted to sell
10 trainer airplanes. And that is why
the Pakistan Chief of Air Staff is
coming for the induction ceremony
in Kaduna.”
The Chief of Air Staff said the Air Force
was assisting the Army and the Navy
in the North and South fighting
terrorism and militancy through
operational strategy, air
interdictions strategy and soft-core
strategy.
He said the objective was to create
an enabling environment for the
ground and surface forces to operate
with little or no hindrance.
He said the Service was carrying out
massive reactivation of redundant
aircraft and many of them are
already involved in the fight against
Boko Haram.
“Another sub -strategy is the
reactivation of airplanes. We have
embarked on the reactivation of
airplanes and today we are on the
13th aircraft. What I mean by
reactivation is that aircraft that were
not involved in any fight before the
coming of this Federal Government;
they were parked before but are
today part of the fight.
“The 13th aircraft as I speak to you is
being worked upon in Yola and we
are hoping that before the end of
this month that airplane will be
flying. When you train, you must
reactivate the platform to be used in
flying.”
He praised the competence of NAF
pilots, saying: “In the last 18 months,
we have flown almost 3000 hours
with no incident. The pilots are
among the most competent.
Because the training curriculum is
very clear. And that is why now in the
Air Force you look at the wings, pilots
wear wings. We have categorised
the wings according to their skill
levels.
“We also organise simulation
training for our pilots, we organise
evaluation visits where pilots are
evaluated without any notice. We
have also sent over 700 personnel of
the NAF to different parts of the
world to train and acquire the skills
required for them to be effective.
On the incident involving an Augusta
AW101 helicopter which was handed
over to the NAF from the Presidential
Air Fleet (PAF).
Air Marshal Abubakar said: “What
happened in Makurdi was not a
crash.
Immediately we received the aircraft
from the Presidency, we took one of
them to Kaduna to paint it into
desert camouflage. They removed
the seal of the President and painted
it into a combat machine.
“When they finished the painting,
they were supposed to go to
Maiduguri but they needed to go to
Makurdi to pick certain things before
proceeding to Maiduguri. So the
aircraft took off from Kaduna,
landed perfectly in Makurdi. They
were just taxiing to go and park
when the incident happened. I don’t
want to pre-empt whatever
investigation that is going on.
“Those same pilots were the ones
that picked the 21 Chibok girls that
were moved out in the night and
brought them back to Maiduguri and
from Maiduguri to Abuja. So
accidents happen and we are
investigating to find out why it
happened and we will make it public
when we get the picture of what
really happened.”




http://thenationonlineng.net/pakistan-russia-fighter-jets-set-join-boko-haram-war/

Great

hs

Good way to go. We can't be battling recession and the same time fighting insurgents.

Nice

What a brutal week for wailers
Wailers just got burnt. But before wailers start wailing, here is your password; 28 03 15, you may now go in & wail.
Truth is mine!

Na everyday dem dey train? this country sef. and nobody dey come here come train. nawa

Observing

COOL, THATS WHAT FRIENDLY COUNTRIES DO

America and Europe has always claimed to be friends with Nigeria only with the lips but when we are in dare need of them they always disappoint. What is the politics in selling us war planes.

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