THE Air Force said yesterday that five Super Mushshak aircraft will soon be added to its fleet from Pakistan to enhance its clearance operations against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the Northeast.
It said the development followed the return of four Super Mushshak aircrafts given on loan to it by the Pakistan government to train Nigerian pilots.
According to a statement from the Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, the returned aircraft were used to train four instructor pilots and graduate 16 students pilots, including two female pilots in Kaduna.
The statement reads: “The four Super Mushshak aircraft loaned to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) by the Pakistan Government, for the ab-initio flying training of its pilots at 401 Flying Training School Kaduna, have been returned to Pakistan.
“The disassembled aircraft were loaded aboard a cargo aircraft and flown out of the NAF Base Kaduna on October 23, 2017.
“The returned aircraft were temporarily made available by the Pakistan Government, at no extra cost to the NAF, for the commencement of training of its pilots in December 2016, prior to the delivery of the 10 trainer aircraft ordered by the NAF.
“With the now returned four Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, the NAF was able to train four instructor pilots and graduate 16 ab-initio student pilots, including two female pilots, at the 401 Flying Training School Kaduna.
“This has enhanced the ability of the NAF to train its pilots locally, thereby helping to build the needed capacity to further prosecute the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.
“Having taken delivery of the first batch of five new trainer aircraft, there was no longer any need for the NAF to retain the four loaned Super Mushshak aircraft and hence, the return of the aircraft, in line with the agreement between the two parties.
“The NAF is expecting to receive the remaining five brand new Super Mushshak aircraft it had since ordered before the end of December 2017.”
