The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, talked about the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) getting ready for its 60th birthday in April, saying that they’ve achieved having 30 aircraft in their fleet.
He said this during a visit to the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base Ikeja and other NAF places in Lagos. He wanted to check on some projects.
Abubakar said the NAF has come far since it started in 1964. Back then, they didn’t have any planes or training places and relied on help from other countries.
But now, they have 30 different types of aircraft, like fighters and transport planes. They also have over 35,000 officers and men in bases across Nigeria. Abubakar thinks they’ve done well over time.
He said they’ll celebrate their 60th birthday soon and show off their achievements. Abubakar praised the NAF Research and Development Institute for making great innovations. Some projects are almost ready for mass production.
For example, they have drones called Gulma and Tsaigumi, which they’ve shown flying. They plan to mass-produce them for the Air Force and later for commercial use.
Abubakar said five research products got patented, meaning they own the rights to them. They can now mass-produce, use, and sell them. The NAF also collaborates well with other security agencies.
They share information and have good relationships with agencies like the DSS, the police, and the army.
“We share information with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Police, the Army, the Navy, and all other security agencies and have excellent relationships with them.
“Whenever we get intelligence, we share, and we also get intelligence from them, so collaboration has never been this good in the past,” he said.
Abubakar admitted past mistakes but promised they won’t accidentally hurt civilians again during operations.
He explained it’s hard to separate enemies from civilians, but they’re doing better with intelligence and planning. They’re adapting quickly to handle challenges effectively.
“However, we do a lot of intelligence tracking and counterchecks to make sure that we isolate the adversary before we hit.
“We have adapted rapidly to the current situation and are fighting it effectively,” Abubakar said.
