By Alex Fredrick
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, has expressed his gratitude for the Federal Government’s strategic support to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), emphasizing the significant impact on national security and counterinsurgency operations.
Speaking at a lecture titled “Military Strategic Leadership in Air Operations: My Perspective” to participants of Course 11/2025 at the Air Force War College (AFWC) in Makurdi on May 7, 2025, Air Marshal Abubakar highlighted the vital role of the support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in enhancing NAF’s operational capacity.
He pointed to the recent acquisition of nine new aircraft, which have already proven invaluable in critical national security operations. “These platforms are significantly improving our capacity to conduct precise and sustained air operations in key areas,” the CAS stated.
Looking to the future, Air Marshal Abubakar announced that the NAF is expecting the delivery of an additional 49 aircraft, some of which are scheduled to arrive in the coming months. He emphasized that these additions will further enhance NAF’s ability to perform complex missions and maintain momentum in its ongoing operations.
Reflecting on the NAF’s operational achievements, the CAS revealed that over the past year, the NAF had flown more than 4,500 hours across 2,304 sorties. Of these, nearly 2,000 were counterinsurgency missions, and over 2,600 were anti-banditry sorties, totaling 4,670 flight hours. Additionally, 366 sorties were conducted to combat economic sabotage, specifically crude oil theft and illegal refining, with 1,450 hours of flight time accumulated.
“These figures represent not just statistics but real missions, real risks, and tangible outcomes,” the CAS emphasized. He also reported that between June 2023 and the present, more than 3,496 terrorists were neutralized in the Northeast, and over 121,000 insurgents and their families surrendered to security forces.
Air Marshal Abubakar also highlighted the NAF’s significant contributions to the economy, particularly through Operation DELTA SAFE. “By strategically deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic air power, we have disrupted oil theft syndicates and protected critical infrastructure,” he said. Citing recent data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, he noted a 13% increase in crude oil and condensate production in Q4 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, a direct result of the NAF’s sustained air operations in collaboration with other security agencies.
Concluding his address, the CAS urged the next generation of Air Force leaders to rise to the challenges of strategic command. “You are the future of air power in Nigeria,” he said. “Your leadership, professionalism, and resolve will determine the Air Force’s capacity to address current and future security challenges.”
