The military will rev up the campaign against insurgents and kidnappers with the purchase of 18 fighter jets by the Federal Government.
They are made up of 12 Zulu Cobra from United States (U.S.) and six T129 Helicopters are from Turkeye. Two of the T129 will arrive next month.
Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Hassan Abubakar made this public yesterday during his tour of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) units and formations in Rivers State.
SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter developed on behalf of and primarily operated by, the US Marine Corps.
T129 is also a twin-engine, NATO-interoperable helicopter optimised for attack, armed reconnaissance, precision strike and deep strike missions,
Nigeria in October 2021 took delivery of the final batch of the 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets from the U.S.
Super Tucano aircraft is used for light attack, combat and reconnaissance.
Air Marshal Abubakar also visited Governor Siminalaye Fubara and the families of two of the four air force personnel, who died in the August 14 NAF chopper that crashed near Zungeru in Niger State.
The chopper had gone on a rescue mission to a scene where 32 soldiers died in an ambush laid by terrorists near Shiroro Local Government Area but it crashed shortly after takeoff.
The names of the deceased NAF personnel were given as Flt.-Lt. Adamu Ibrahim, Flt.-Lt. Anthony Duryumus, Lance Cpl Alaribe Daniel and Lance Cpl Briggs Stephen Peter.
Air Marshal Abubakar said that the tour of the formations and units under NAF 115 Special Operations Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt, that the crash and the death of security agents was a major setback for the Air Force.
He charged the personnel not to be deterred as the arrival of the 18 fighter jets would help in repositioning the Force.
His said,
“We are not deterred by recent developments as the Federal Government has approved the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra and six T129 Helicopters from the United States and Turkeye respectively.
“The first two T129 helicopters are scheduled to come into operation by September, to enhance our operational capabilities.
“Yes, we are saddened by the recent loss of our aeroplane (MI 171 helicopter) but then, we have a lot more (aircraft) coming in and our capabilities are increasing,”
Air Marshal Abubakar said he visited the state to commiserate with families of the NAF pilots and crew that died in the August 14 helicopter crash.
“We came here to express our deepest condolences to the immediate family members of the crew that we lost.
“The 115 special operations group is the home base for the aeroplane and all the crew that were onboard the unfortunate crash of our MI-171 helicopter.
“Aside from this, we are also here to interact with the officers and men of the unit to encourage and assure them of our support in Operation Delta Safe,”
He assured that the Air Force is currently putting measures in place to put an end to crashes of military aircraft in the country.
According to him, the measures included the setting up of an air crash investigation board to detect the probable causes of the August 14 crash to avert reoccurrence.
While sympathising with the bereaved families Air Marshal Abubakar promised that the Air Force authorities would not abandon them.
He said,
“I am here this morning (yesterday) with a team from the headquarters, Nigerian Air Force(NAF) to first of all express our deepest condolences to the immediate family members of the crew that we lost and also to interact with the officers and men of the unit to encourage them and to make sure that we assure them of our support so that they will continue to do the good job that they have been doing especially as regards the operations of operation Delta Safe which Nigeria Air Component has been playing a very prominent role”
At the Government House in Port, Governor Fubara sought the support of the Air Force in the fight against the damage of pipelines.
He said in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Boniface Onyedi, that there was a need for effective synergy and collaboration among all the security agencies.
The statement reads,
“I want to tell you, the entire Air Force, that we are having a difficult time in this country, so try as much as you can to see what you can do.
“We are ready to work with you to reduce economic sabotage. Illegal bunkering is a big issue and it is something not to leave in the hands of the Navy or the Army, but everybody needs to work together.
“When we work together, I believe nothing is impossible to conquer. I appeal to you to order the commander in charge of this base to work with us because we intend to start a new fighting arrangement against illegal bunkering activities.”
