Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar at the weekend conducted an operational tour of units of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF units in Enugu and Rivers states, to assess the “operational readiness” of its warfare facilities.
The NAF said the Air Chiefs assessment is in furtherance of the drive to actualise his Command Philosophy of transforming the NAF “for greater agility and resilience to effectively project air power in meeting all national security imperatives”, and “to evaluate operational readiness and infrastructural development of the units with a view to enhancing their efficiency and effectiveness”.
A statement on Sunday by Group Captain Kabiru Ali, NAF’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information noted that “in Enugu, the CAS visited the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (HCTG) and the International Helicopter Flying School (IHFS) During the tour, the CAS inspected various facilities, interacted with personnel, and discussed ways to improve operational performance”.
Air Marshal Abubakar emphasized the importance of maintaining high levels of preparedness to meet current and emerging security challenges, and highlighted his commitment to implementing developmental projects and procuring critical service facilities that would elevate the standards of the units. “Our goal is to ensure a vibrant and effective service delivery across all platforms,” the CAS stated.
Nigerian Pilot reports that Air Marshal Abubakar extended the tour to 115 Special Operations Group, SOG in Port Harcourt, reiterating the same mission of assessing operational readiness and identifying areas for infrastructural upgrades.
In Port Harcourt, he reassured personnel that efforts to provide better facilities and equipment will be prioritized.
According to the NAF, operational visits such as this underscore the CAS’s unrelenting determination to improve the NAF’s airpower capabilities through strategic infrastructural enhancements, as well as robust operational, logistical and welfare support.