The Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has averred that the country was winning the war against terrorism and insurgency.
The Air Chief stated this on Thursday, while on an operation tour of 205 Combat Search and Rescue Group, Kerang, Plateau State and 22 Quick Response Wing, Lafia in Nasarawa State.
TheFact Daily notes that Amao made the statement on the strength of some of the new platforms in the Nigerian Air Force’s (NAF’s) Order of Battle, particularly the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Amao further attributed the level of successes being recorded against terrorists and insurgents to the magnanimity of President Muhammadu Buhari in providing the NAF with new and modern platforms, as well as NAF’s ability to effectively operationalize their usage in the battlefield.
He however said more still needed to be done to completely decimate and flush out the remnants of terrorists still preying on soft targets.
Amao, while warning that being complacent at this point would be harmful to ongoing operations, called for extra focus, vigilance and caution.
He also informed the personnel that the NAF was expecting the delivery of additional new platforms which the President had approved.
These platforms, he disclosed, include 2 CASA-295 medium airlift aircraft, 2 Beechcraft King Air 360, 4 Diamond DA-62 surveillance aircraft, 3 Wing Loong II UCAVs and 6 T-129 ATAK helicopters.
Other ongoing acquisitions include 2 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 new platforms, Amao said, are expected to be delivered to the NAF before the end of the first quarter of 2023.
On the upcoming general elections, the CAS noted that while in exercising their constitutional right to vote for any candidate of their choice, personnel must desist from engaging in any form of political activities.
“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’s perception of the NAF and the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains positive and unblemished”, he said.
The CAS was accompanied by some Branch Chiefs, the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, and some directors.
