Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, NAF spokesman, said the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, disclosed this at the 2017 Third Quarter meeting with Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) and Commanders.
The CAS expressed gladness that aircraft availability in 401 FTS Kaduna had increased by about 300 per cent from the three trainer aircraft in 2015.
On recruitment, he stated that the NAF had recruited “over 4,900 persons out of which 1,900 had completed training as airmen/airwomen and deployed to various units while another 1,500 are undergoing training, with another 1,500 scheduled to commence training afterwards.”
“In addition, 406 have been enlisted into the Service out of which 206 have been commissioned as Direct Short Service officers while 200 would commence cadet training on 16 September 2017.”
On humanitarian intervention schemes, the CAS said that, during its medical outreach programmes, the NAF provided free surgical interventions to about 133 Internally Displaced Persons out of 201 that were treated. In the same vein, the NAF was already intervening to provide succour to victims of the recent Makurdi Flood.
Similarly, the NAF projected airpower beyond Nigeria’s territory within the same period, through its C-130H aircraft that was used to deliver relief materials to victims of the mudslide in Sierra Leone.
