The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has declared that the nation’s security agencies are winning the war against terrorism and insurgency.
He attributed the level of successes been recorded against terrorists and insurgents to the magnanimity of President Muhammadu Buhari in providing the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) with new and modern platforms and NAF’s ability to effectively operationalize their usage in the battlefield.
The CAS stated this while on operation tour of 205 Combat Search and Rescue Group, Kerang Plateau State and 22 Quick Response Wing, Lafia in Nasarawa State.
This was contained in a press release by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet.
The CAS said, “we are winning the war against terrorism in the country”, adding that the success was made possible with some of the new platforms in NAF’s Order of Battle, particularly the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Air Marshall Amao, however, stated that more still needed to be done “to completely decimate and flush out the remnants of terrorists still preying on soft targets.”
The CAS also warned that being complacent at this point would be harmful to ongoing operations and called for extra focus, vigilance and caution.
Air Marshal Amao also informed the personnel that the NAF is expecting the delivery of additional new platforms which he said the president has approved for the NAF.
These platforms, he noted included two CASA-295 medium airlift aircraft; two Beechcraft King Air 360; four Diamond DA-62 surveillance aircraft; three Wing Loong II UCAVs and six T-129 ATAK helicopters.
Other ongoing acquisitions, he informed, included two Agusta 109 Trekker multi-role helicopters; 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters and 24 M-346 attack aircraft to boost NAF’s air power employment and projection capabilities as well as air combat training.
A few of these additional platforms, he also stated, are expected to be delivered to the NAF before the end of first quarter 2023.
On the forthcoming general election, the CAS noted that, while in exercising their constitutional right to vote for any candidate of their choice, Air Force personnel must desist from engaging in any form of political activities.
The CAS said: “We must continue to maintain our integrity and neutrality as a Service. You must also remember that, as custodians of Nigeria’s constitution, we must ensure that the public perception of the NAF and the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains positive and unblemished.”
The CAS was accompanied by some branch chiefs, the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, and some directors, it was added in the release.
