The Nigerian Air Force has graduated another set of helicopter fighter pilots to boost its manpower and operational requirements.
The 13 graduating pilots were trained on tactical and combat operations.
Ibikunle Daramola, the director of public relations and information, Nigerian Air Force in a statement on Saturday, December 21, 2019, noted that the graduation of the new pilots will boost the fight against insurgency and other criminalities across the country.
According to the statement, “the efforts of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, to provide qualitative manpower to meet its operational requirements in tackling various security challenges in the country have received a further boost with the graduation of a set of 13 pilots who have successfully completed their tactical and combat training.
“The combined Graduation Ceremony of Tactical Helicopter Course 1/2019 and Tactical Fighter Courses 23 and 24A, which took place December 21, 2019, at the NAF Base Makurdi comprised 5 Agusta 109EM helicopter pilots and 8 Alpha Jet pilots.
“The Graduation Ceremony was preceded by an Air Range Exercise which involved live firing from Agusta 109EM helicopters and Alpha Jets by the graduating pilots at Kwernev Air Range, Makurdi, with the pilots displaying the effectiveness of their training and targeting/weapon delivery skills scoring accurate hits on the targets with their rockets and cannons”.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Chief of the Air Staff, CAS, Sadique Abubakar, said he was delighted that 2 of the NAF’s vital training Units, the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (405 HCTG), Enugu and the 407 Air Combat Training Group (407 HCTG), Kainji, were taking their place at the forefront of producing combat-rated helicopter and fighter pilots for the Service.
He described the combined graduation of the pilots “as a significant milestone in the history of the NAF, being the first time that the Service would be witnessing the graduation of tactically-trained helicopter pilots from 405 HCTG.
The CAS disclosed that the training “was in keeping with the NAF’s current focus on robust and result oriented training for enhanced professional performance, which has seen several aircrew trained both at home and abroad in the last 4 years.
He noted, for instance, that from July 2015 till date, the NAF had conducted conversion and tactical training for 9 Alpha Jet pilots in Egypt and 17 others at the 407 ACTG, Kainji, in addition to the 8 graduating Alpha Jet pilots; 4 of whom were trained in Egypt and the other 4 trained in Kainji by NAF instructors.
Moreover, he noted that, aside the 5 graduating helicopter pilots, the Service had conducted initial and refresher courses for 24 Agusta 109 pilots in Italy”.
According to him, “the graduation of the helicopter pilots was as a result of the reorganization of the 405 HCTG to enable it bridge the gap of insufficient combat-rated helicopter pilots in the NAF.
He added that “the Unit was now well positioned to continue supplying all NAF combat helicopter platforms with tactically trained pilots, while 407 Air Combat Training Group (407 ACTG) would continue to provide the Service with combat-rated fighter pilots on the Alpha Jet.
“The combined efforts of these Units, had ensured the constant supply of adequately trained pilots to meet the operational needs of the NAF. He noted that this was a testament to the collective efforts “To reposition the NAF 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”.
He commended the efforts of the Air Training Command, ATC, which has been responsible for implementing the initiatives to domicile most of its training efforts in NAF institutions, for translating his vision and strategic directives into visible achievements in the field.
While congratulating the graduating pilots for their resilience in successfully completing the training, Air Marshal Abubakar charged them to strive to use their skills to add value to the units where they would be deployed.
The CAS also seized the opportunity to appreciate the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for his untiring support that had enabled the NAF to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.
He also commended the Air Officer Commanding, AOC, ATC as well as the Commanders, officers, instructors and airmen/airwomen for their dedication, which had resulted in the successes so far achieved.
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