Page 50 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

FORCE REPORT Nigerian Air Force Part One

each group is located at a fixed
Niger Chad base. A flying group and its
subordinate flying wing typically
operate a single aircraft type,
Sokoto AF Katsina AF Daura Mguno/Monguno although recent deployment
helo FOB
Burkina patterns suggest the NAF is
Faso Gusau Kano AF Maiduguri moving towards composite
AF
groups using detachments
Kaduna AF, of various aircraft types
HQ ATC Bauchi AF, on combat operations.
Benin Nigeria Jos AF HQ SOC For example, 103 Strike Group
Kafanchan (103 STG, formerly designated
helo FOB
Kainji AB Abuja Kerang Yola AF 79 STG) and 105 Composite
Ghana Minna AF Group (105 CG, ex-79 CG), at
Togo Yola and Maiduguri respectively
Abuja IAP
– which are frontline bases in
Ilorin AF Makurdi AB, the thick of operations against
HQ TAC
Boko Haram – operate mixed
Ibadan AF formations of fighters and fixed-
Ipetu-Ijesha Enugu AB, wing intelligence, surveillance and
HQ GTC
reconnaissance (ISR) platforms,
Ikeja IAP, Benin AF including unmanned aerial
Badagry HQ LC
helo FOB Owerri Central
vehicles (UAVs) and combat,
Warri AF Cameroon African
transport and utility helicopters.
Calabar AF Republic
Since early last year, the NAF
Yenagoa
Gulf of Guinea HQ, MC Port has been working through
Harcourt AF one of its periodic exercises
in reorganisation. Typically
Liaison (AEILS) and ten staff Training Command – the Air – and each wing includes one occurring every five years
branches, including the newly Training Command (ATC) with its or more squadrons. Wings or so, they reflect evolving
established Communications HQ at Kaduna and the Ground are not always co-located with operational needs.
Branch which was spun off Training Command (GTC) with their parent unit, and while The two most obvious
from the former Logistics and its HQ at Enugu; and the Lagos- the numerical designations of changes this time include
Communications Branch. based Logistics Command. some flying wings are known, the establishment of Special
Each staff branch, headed by an Every command has several information on current flying Operations Command in 2016
air vice-marshal, has a number subordinate groups, each of squadrons is not openly available. and the splitting up of the
of subordinate directorates which has at least one wing For administrative purposes, Training Command into the
and departments. Through
its staff branches and their
subordinate directorates, HQ
NAF exercises control over
six operational commands.
They are Tactical Air Command
(TAC), headquartered at Makurdi;
a nascent Special Operations
Command (SOC), established
in 2016 with its HQ at Bauchi;
Mobility Command (MC), with
its HQ at Yenagoa; two new L39ZA trainers in fl ight. Normally operated as basic and advanced trainers by 403 FTS in
training commands derived from Kano, the pressing need for more combat platforms has seen a growing number of these
the now defunct Kaduna-based aircraft modifi ed as light ground-attack aircraft with ordnance from MiG-21 stocks. NAF

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