The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has announced that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has acquired 63 new aircraft over the past three years.
He made this revelation on Wednesday during the NAF Training, Operations, and Safety Seminar for 2024, held in Abuja. Abubakar attributed the significant renewal of the NAF fleet and enhanced operational readiness to the support of President Bola Tinubu.
“In the past year alone, the NAF has received 12 advanced aircraft, including two KA-360i aircraft, four DA-62 aircraft, four T-129 helicopters, and two AW-109 Trekker helicopters,” Abubakar stated. He further noted that the NAF expects additional deliveries before the end of the year, including two more T-129 helicopters and one KA-360i aircraft.
Looking ahead to 2025, Abubakar outlined the expected arrival of 10 AW-109 Trekker helicopters, 24 M-346FA aircraft, three CASA-295 aircraft, and 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, bringing the total to 64 new aircraft over three years. Additionally, 12 pre-owned A-Jet aircraft were procured from the French Air Force through SOFEMA. Six of these will be restored to operational status, while the remaining six will be used as spares for the Alpha Jet fleet.
Describing the current period as a “golden era” for the NAF, Abubakar vowed to build on the operational successes achieved so far. A performance review revealed that between June 2023 and September 2024, the NAF conducted 8,665 missions across 9,928 sorties, logging a total of 15,915 flying hours.
The Chief of the Air Staff also commended the leadership of Air Component Commanders and encouraged them to continue their successful efforts. On the training front, Abubakar highlighted significant progress, with 405 airmen and 186 officers completing various foreign courses, while 64 are still ongoing. Domestically, 5,474 personnel have completed training, with 1,331 currently undergoing training.
