The Nigerian Airforce through its Air Training Command has graduated more combat ready pilots for its Alfa jets.
The pilots, two of them will be required to take missions round the clock to protect lives, national assets and interests.
At the graduation ceremony in Kainji, Nigeria’s home of Alfa jets, Airforce authorities noted that Air combat training is the hall mark of the force.
NAF Director of Public Relations’ and Information, AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja.
He said, “The graduation, which took place at the 407 Air Combat Training Group (ACTG), Kainji underscores the importance the current NAF leadership places on human capacity development for improved professional performance.”
The statement disclosed that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said the graduation of additional combat pilots would boost the efforts of the Air Force in the ongoing fight against insurgency and other forms of armed banditry in the country.
Abubakar said training has always remained a major agent of transformation, noting that 407 ACTG has continued to fulfil its role of training combat-ready fighter pilots for NAF to defend the nation’s territorial integrity by air.
The statement said the air force chief was represented by AVM Mohammed Idris, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Air Training Command.
Abubakar congratulated the graduands for being able to complete the combat training programme.
He said the rigours of the training were aimed at giving the pilots the requisite foundation and balance to prepare them for greater challenges they would face in the operational squadron.
He reminded them of their importance to operational effectiveness and accordingly urged them to be ready to contribute their quota to enhance NAF operations.
