Following the re-activation of three L-39ZA aircraft, namely, NAF352, NAF354 and NAF364, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Mashall Sadique Abubakar, has said Nigerian Air Force is equipped to combat insurgency and banditry,
Abubakar gave the assurance on Friday in Kano during the handover of the reactivated L-39ZA aircraft by Czech-based company, Aero Vodochody Aerospace, at the 403 NAF Training School, Kano.
The Air Force boss said additional six of such aircraft would also be re-activated before the end of 2019.
He said, “I think the impact the re-activation of these aircraft is going to make should go beyond even training the officers here.
“So, this is a giant stride in my opinion, which the Federal Government has made to ensure that we continue the training of pilots. Remember also that some of these aircraft that you see here, we have utilised them in the North-East and that is why one of them that you see over there is painted in desert camouflage.
“I think it will impact positively on the Air Force to ensure that fighting and training is going on without hindrance. They already have 15 pilots that are here. They will commence training immediately, with these aircraft that have been re-activated, in addition with the ones that are already here.”
In his remark, the Ambassador of Czech Republic to Nigeria, Marek Skolil, traced the bi-lateral relationship between Czech and Nigeria to 1961, pointing out that the country had always remained Nigeria’s ally, even during the civil war.
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