The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has announced that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will bolster its aerial capabilities with the acquisition of 49 advanced aircraft by the end of 2026.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Aircraft Engineering Conference held on Wednesday, July 15, at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja, Abubakar outlined the service’s strategic expansion plan under the theme, ‘Enhancing Aircraft Serviceability in the NAF through Strong Maintenance Culture and Strategic Partnerships.’
He detailed that the upcoming fleet additions will include three CASA 295 transport aircraft, 10 AW-109 Trekker Type B helicopters, 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, and 24 M-346 fighter jets.
These platforms, he noted, are technologically advanced and will require sophisticated maintenance and support systems.
This planned expansion follows the successful delivery of 15 new aircraft to the NAF over the past two years, which included six T-129 ATAK helicopters, two AW-109 Trekker Type A helicopters, three Beechcraft King Air aircraft, and four Diamond 62 surveillance planes.
The Air Marshal emphasized that the new procurements are part of broader efforts to enhance NAF’s operational readiness, precision strike capabilities, and overall mission effectiveness.
“These aircraft are all high-tech platforms that require very sophisticated maintenance activities to operate effectively,” Abubakar said.
Abubakar emphasized the importance of adopting advanced, innovative, and data-driven approaches to aircraft and weapons maintenance within the NAF.
He noted that the ongoing expansion of the NAF fleet highlights the urgent need to build stronger engineering capabilities and cultivate a robust maintenance culture capable of supporting the complexities of a modern, technology-driven air force.
“In the last two years, the NAF has reached new heights in operational capability. But this progress must be matched by robust support systems to ensure sustained air power delivery in pursuit of national security goals,” he said.
Abubakar also disclosed that the NAF has committed substantial resources toward enhancing its logistics infrastructure, spare parts availability, and ground support equipment.
These efforts, he said, are aimed at ensuring that all operational aircraft are fully serviceable by the final quarter of 2025.
Echoing this commitment, the Chief of Aircraft Engineering, Air Vice Marshal A.I. Amodu, emphasized the critical role of engineering in sustaining the NAF’s mission.
He described aircraft engineering as the foundation upon which the service’s operational effectiveness is built.
Amodu also noted that the increasingly complex security landscape requires a proactive and adaptive maintenance system to meet emerging challenges and ensure mission readiness.
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