By Christel Odili
The Federal Government has today 14 January 2018, taken delivery of another set of 5 brand new Super Mushshak trainer aircraft from Pakistan
to strengthen primary flying training of pilots in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The Newly delivered aircrafts formed the final batch of 10 Super Mushshak aircrafts ordered by the federal government from Pakistan since 2016.
On hand to receive the new aircraft at the Military Airport in the NAF Base, Kaduna was the Chief of Logistics of NAF, Air Vice Marshal Bello Garba on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
According to AVM Garba, the aircrafts will enhance training of student pilots who will now complete their training within stipulated the time, nothing that,it will get them to go to another form of training in time and finally get them to launch into battle field in the North-East and other parts of the country.”
According to him, the aircraft is modern and has spare parts in the event of repairs and maintenance. “In the NAF, we have a very strict maintenance culture, we have instructor pilots and engineers on it.”
Also speaking, the team leader of Pakistan Air force, Zeeshan Ahmed, said 10 super Mushsak planes have been supplied to Nigeria from Pakistan.
He said that the gesture would strengthen existing relationship between the two countries and encourage the two armed forces to upscale their synergy.
Recall that the first batch of 5 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft were earlier delivered to Nigeria in July 2017 and were subsequently inducted into the inventory of the NAF to enhance primary flying training of pilots. Most of the student pilots who graduated from primary flying with the earlier delivered Super Mushshak are now undergoing intermediate flying training on NAF combat and logistics aircrafts in order to strengthen the manpower of NAF in combating insecurity in the nation.
The newly delivered aircraft according to a statement by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, would go a long way in sustaining the process of building capacity to effectively prosecute the counterinsurgency operation in the North East as well as other forms of insecurity in the country.
The statement also read that as at 2015, local primary flying training of pilots in the NAF was almost grounded thereby necessitated the procurement of the Super Mushshak.
Meanwhile, hitherto to the procurement of the Pakistan made trainer aircraft, the NAF has solely relied on the ABT-18 and Few number of DA-40 aircraft for the purpose of primary flying training at 401 FTS in kaduna.