The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Sunday Aneke, has led a high-level engagement in the United States to fast-track the delivery of 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The move is aimed at boosting the combat capability and mission readiness of the NAF.
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The Director, Public Relations and Information of NAF, Ehimen Ejodame, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr Ejodame, an air commodore, stated that the engagement, which is a Programme Management Review meeting, was held from 5 January to 6 January in San Diego, California, with senior United States Government officials and representatives of Bell Textron.
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Mr Aneke, an air marshal, said during the meeting that the acquisition was critical to strengthening NAF’s capacity to deliver decisive airpower in support of national security objectives.
He described the structured review as a demonstration of NAF’s commitment to programme discipline, accountability and results-driven capability development.
“We deeply value the professionalism and openness demonstrated throughout this process, and we remain fully committed to working closely with our partners to ensure the timely and successful delivery of these platforms,” the CAS said.
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He explained that beyond upgrading platforms, the AH-1Z programme reflected the depth of defence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, anchored in mutual trust, shared values and a common vision for regional and global security.
“This partnership speaks to our collective resolve to confront evolving security challenges through collaboration and sustained capability development,” he added.
The air chief assured the US team of NAF’s sense of urgency, stressing that necessary measures would be taken to ensure the helicopters were delivered in the shortest possible time.
He also charged the programme management team to work proactively to complete production on schedule and within budget.
“Timelines and standards must be met concurrently. We must remain focused, innovative and solutions-driven,” Mr Aneke said.
The CAS expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support of the Nigerian Air Force.
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According to him, the AH-1Z helicopters will significantly enhance NAF’s operational efficiency, precision strike capability and support to ground forces, while helping to minimise collateral damage during operations.
Mr Aneke reassured Nigerians of NAF’s commitment to tackling terrorism and criminality with professionalism, restraint and accountability, while sustaining public trust and confidence in its operations.
(NAN)
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