ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, is seeking necessary support from the United States to keep functional its US-made platforms employed in key roles in the fight against insurgency in Northeast Nigeria.
Abubakar in a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations (DOPRI), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, on Tuesday, made this request during a recent official visit to the US, where he met with the management of Lockheed Martin Corporation and Textron Aviation, the manufacturers of C-130H and Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft respectively.
The latest move is geared towards overcoming delay and hitches currently associated with equipment overhaul and provision of aircraft spares. The NAF is also seeking assistance in the area of training for pilots, engineers and other operations support specialists.
The objective was to establish rapport with the concerned US authorities with a view to strengthening identified areas of mutual cooperation that would enhance NAF’s overall operational readiness and efforts in the on-going counter-insurgency operations.
According to him, the visit to the US was in the light of the delays that are currently being experienced in spares procurement, and is also aimed at eliminating middlemen in the procurement chain. Furthermore, the visit to the companies would henceforth fast-track the procurement process and cut cost, the statement said.
“The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) visited promised to support the NAF and ensure prompt delivery of spares to Nigeria. The CAS team was conducted round the facilities visited,” he said.