At his second biannual meeting with branch chiefs and Air Officers Commanding NAF formations in Abuja, the Chief of Air Staff(CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said the expected 50 fighter jets would complement the 12 already in NAF’s inventory.
Abubakar encouraged the officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and loyalty as they contribute to the overall mission of the NAF.
He said: “A few months ago, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Nigerian Air Force, which ushered us into a golden era of transformation and evolution.
“Over the past year, we have successfully inducted 12 aircraft into our inventory, and God willing, we shall take delivery of 50 brand new aircraft between December this year and 2026.
“This is a remarkable achievement that we have not witnessed in a very long time.
“Indeed, these are exciting times that demand innovative thinking, resilience, and dedication.’’
Also yesterday, the Defence Ministry said the ongoing military operations against insurgents in the Northeast and Northwest had reached an advanced stage with the deployment of sophisticated satellite assets.
It said: “Right now, we have moved from normal military operations to advanced military operations. We now use drones. We need satellite to do that. Our troops have to identify where our enemies are. As it is now, without satellites, we cannot operate our drones.
“There will be pollution, or rather, what you call accidents, among the drones in the space. Therefore, we need satellites to do that operation.”
Permanent Secretary of the ministry Ibrahim Kana stated this at the Stakeholders Engagement organised by the Nigeria Communications Satellite Ltd., NigComSat.
Kana lauded President Bola Tinubu, the military, and other security agencies for protecting the country
He said: “I want to use the opportunity, really, to thank His Excellency, Mr President, for bringing us together and making sure that we all work together and providing all the necessary requirements, particularly launching of more satellites in space.”
President Tinubu’s efforts in the fight against insecurity in the North was also commended by the Arewa Elders Progressive Group yesterday.
The group noted that Tinubu’s approach to tackling insecurity, particularly his decision to use military force to crush bandits, has shown promising results.
The commendation was contained in a statement by the group’s Chairman, Mustafa Dutsinma.