The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said that it will soon acquire 18 aircraft to boost its operational efficiency and timely employment of Air Power in response to the country’s national security challenges.
It also said apart from the expected aircraft, 19 brand new others had been acquired, while 20 hitherto unserviceable aircraft had been reactivated in the last four years.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, broke the news at the opening of a two-day capacity building workshop on strategic communications in Abuja.
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The CAS said the NAF had also recorded steady improvement in infrastructural development and personnel welfare.
Abubakar, who was represented by the NAF Chief of Administration, Air Vice Marshal Kingsley Lar, said:
“We have remained committed to the Vision of repositioning the Nigerian Air Force into a highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely employment of Air Power in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives.”
“In line with this, in the past four years, the NAF has ensured steady improvements in infrastructural development and personnel welfare. Accordingly, the service has executed over 900 infrastructure projects, including office and residential accommodation, messes and recreational facilities as well as schools and hospitals, amongst others.
“As a result, we have been able to raise accommodation sufficiency from 35 per cent in 2015 to about 72 per cent today. This is despite the fact that the strength of the Service has almost doubled within the same timeframe…”