‘NAF has only one serviceable aircraft for training’

Category: News Published on Friday, 08 February 2013 05:00 Written by Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna

The Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Air Vice Marshall Isyaku Umar, has lamented that the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna has only one serviceable aircraft for the training of officers and men.

Umar told Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh, who was on his maiden familiarization tour of the NAF base in Kaduna yesterday that “the NAF base has only one serviceable aircraft used in the training of its personnel”, saying the training base needs a minimum of three aircraft to be able to conduct its local training as well as VIP missions.

He said since his assumption the command has been able to aid the federal government’s efforts in internal security operations with men and helicopter deployment and has as well participated actively in the recent Mali operation in line with NAF’s directives.

The command, according to him, has successfully graduated six student pilots (SP) of 38 course and five student instructor pilots recently concluded their training at 303 Options Training School.

Speaking after his tour of various units in the NAF base, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh said his visit to the Kaduna Training Command was to familiarize with officers and men of the command with a view to repositioning and moving the Air Force forward.

“I expect myself to give approval for maintenance of facilities that are dilapidated... we are recruiting more and more people in the service now as our services are required at all times and if resources permit, we will build more accommodation for our officers and men. Kaduna base has always done well, although there are small challenges here and there, but the government is doing its best to provide for our needs”, he said.