Terrorism: NAF to deploy 35 new pilots, expects 24 fighter jets

Terrorism: NAF to deploy 35 new pilots, expects 24 fighter jets

No fewer than 35 pilots have been injected into the flying officers pool of the Nigerian Air Force after they graduated at the 401 Flying Training School (FTS), Kaduna.

The new pilots, who will be deployed for “national assignments”, according to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, are to be involved in the ongoing operations in different theatres.

The graduation ceremony for the new 35 pilots came less than six months after the authorities of the force announced the acquisition of 12 additional fighter aircraft to enhance its operational capabilities.

In January 2025, NAF took stock of new additions to its fleet, including two King Air 360i light transport aircraft, four T-129 ATAK helicopters, two Agusta Westland 109 Trekker helicopters and four DA-62 surveillance aircraft.

At a meeting with the NAF veterans in Kaduna, the air Chief, Abubakar, highlighted that the force was also set to receive 24 M-346 fighter aircraft and 10 additional Agusta Westland 109 Trekker helicopters from Italy.

Our correspondent reports that the new pilots of Basic Transport Flying Course 5 and Ab-initio Student Pilot Course 49, comprise 10 Basic Transport Course graduates and 25 Ab-initio Student Pilots respectively.

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Speaking on Saturday during the combined graduation ceremony, Abubakar urged the newly graduated pilots to view their flying qualifications not merely as personal milestones, but “as a solemn national responsibility”.

The air chief said, “Earning your flying qualification is not just a personal achievement, it is a national responsibility. You carry not just rank and wings, but the hopes of millions of Nigerians who depend on us for safety and security.”

The senior military officer stressed that the operational strength of the NAF is directly linked to the standard of its training, saying the force would not in anyway take training with levity in order to defeat emerging threats.

“In the Nigerian Air Force, we say that the quality of our training determines the strength of our operations. This is why, under my leadership, we are upgrading training institutions, inducting more aircraft, and evolving our doctrines to meet the demands of modern warfare.

“This graduation is another milestone in the ongoing transformation of the NAF into a more agile, resilient, and technology-driven force,” the service chief explained.

He commended the 401 FTS for over four decades of excellence in pilot training, during which it has produced more than 700 pilots for the NAF, Nigerian Navy, and other African countries, including Republic of Benin, Cape Verde, Niger, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone.

The CAS also reiterated that NAF would remain dedicated to enhancing professional capacity, improving personnel welfare and executing its constitutional mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity while supporting national development.

Terrorism: NAF to deploy 35 new pilots, expects 24 fighter jets