From Molly Kilete, and Okwe Obi, Abuja

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has announced the appointment of new Air Task Force Commander for “Lafia Dole” in the ongoing country insurgency operations in the north east.

Similarly, the NAF has appointed three Divisional Air Liaison Officers (DALO) for the 3, 7 and 8, Armourer Divisions of the Nigerian Army in the Northeast to ensure a better coordination of air efforts with ground operations.

The Chief of Air Staff,(CAS), Air Marshall Abubakar Sadiq, who made this known at the opening of the fourth Quarterly CAS Conference in Abuja, also said the NAF has injected five additional combat helicopters to boost its operations and end the terrorism war in the shortest possible time.

Abubakar said the appointment of the new commander and Liaison Officers is to inject new ideas and boost communications and intelligence gathering towards “a better coordination of air efforts with ground operations.”

The NAF, chief, while noting that the NAF is restrategizing to further limit the possibility of gaps in the terrorism war, said the NAF has equally trained some of its Regiment personnel as additional Special Forces and deployed them to the Northeast for operations alongside other surface forces.

He also said for the first time in the history of the NAF, a female pilot, is on her way to the United States Air Force for training as a fighter pilot, having graduated as the best pilot during training at the 401 Flying Training School, in Kaduna.

Abubakar said the conference is aimed at appraising progress made so far in the service and as well obtain fresh ideas from bottom to the top to move the NAF forward and enjoined the participants comprising Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding and Field Commanders to be frank in their contributions, identify challenges and proffer ways of moving the NAF forward.

The NAF chief while listing the achievement of the service said: “The NAF had activated additional platforms which had been deployed for operations in the Northeast. For example, one Bell 412 Helicopter had been activated while work on the second one would be completed before the end of the month.

“One Mi-35P Helicopter is being reactivated and should be ready for operation by January 2018 ending. The overhauled engines needed for the reactivation had already arrived in Nigeria. The reactivation is done locally to further build the capacity of NAF technical personnel and also save cost. So, foreign technical experts had been invited to execute the project in conjunction with NAF engineers and technicians.

“Total of five combat helicopters are added to the NAF counterinsurgency efforts.The Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) of C-130H Aircraft had commenced in Lagos. Also going on locally by foreign technical experts with NAF personnel for capacity building. Similarly, the Service life of C-130H aircraft NAF 913 has been successfully extended. The efforts are to boost the strategic and operational airlift capability of the NAF.