Page 51 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

‘In association with…’

www.airforcesmonthly.com

required to fulfil the air
force’s combat mission.
Under recent organisational
changes, several TAC units
were upgraded to group status,
while other new units were
established – along with several
forward operating bases (FOBs)
which include 119 (ex-55) FOB
at Mabera (Sokoto) airport, 65
FOB at Badagry and 67 FOB at
Gombe. Another is planned for
Akwa Ibom Airport by 2017.
Other FOBs, on army bases
at Mubi, Bama and Monguno
in the northeast, are dedicated
helicopter facilities supporting
F-7NI 806 is one of 12 fi ghters and three FT-7NI trainers acquired in 2009-10 to replace a large fl eet of grounded MiG-21 operations against Boko Haram.
and Jaguar fi ghters. It is operated by 101 Air Defence Group ‘Tigers’. NAF
In February this year, the then
Air Training Command and the Centre (061 AMC); NAF Hospital Training Team (BMATT) Nigeria. Chief of Training and Operations,
Ground Training Command – Abuja (063 NAFH); and 081 Pay The PAF, which operated 14 to Air Vice-Marshal Abdullahi Iya,
plus the renumbering of all NAF and Accounting Group (081 PAG). 16 aircraft in 2014-15, has been announced the facilities at
commands and subordinate units. Others include the Air Force downsizing to cut costs, either Monguno were being upgraded
Under the new scheme, NAF Institute of Technology (AFIT) through the transfer of aircraft to accommodate combat
HQ direct-reporting units fall at Kaduna; Aeronautical to other units or aircraft sales. helicopters deployed for counter-
into a new 0XX series (formerly Engineering and Technical In December 2015, it comprised insurgency (COIN) operations.
100 series), TAC units take Services Ltd (AETSL), which ten aircraft: single examples TAC meanwhile also operates
100-series numbers (formerly operates aircraft maintenance of the Boeing 737BBJ (NAF 001 the NAF air-to-ground range
two-digit series), SOC units fall centres; and the International ‘Eagle One’), Gulfstream GVSP at Kwenev, near Makurdi.
into a 200 series, MC takes Helicopter Flying School (IHFS) and GV, two Dassault Falcon
300-series (previously 200-series) at Enugu, operating under 7Xs and a Hawker 4000 plus Special Operations
numbers, Training Command a public-private partnership two AgustaWestland AW139s Command
400 series (formerly 300 between the Nigerian Air and a pair of AW101s. Air Marshal Abubakar
series) and Logistics Command Force Holding Company The AW101s transferred to revealed Special Operations
500 series (ex-400 series). (NAFHC) and Triax Aviation. the NAF in October 2016, while Command’s existence in
Another direct reporting Falcon 7X 5N-FGU and Hawker January last year. It became
Direct Reporting Units unit, the National Air Defence 4000 5N-FGX were put up for operational on September
NAF HQ administers various Corps (NADC), is still inchoate sale in December. In March this 23, with its headquarters at
direct reporting units (DRUs). several decades since its year the PAF fleet was thought 251 NAF Base, Bauchi.
They include 011 (ex-101) formation – with unknown to comprise the two AW139s, the According to the CAS, its task
Presidential Air Fleet (011 (and probably very limited) BBJ, a Falcon 7X, a GVSP and a GV. is to facilitate “the development
PAF), based at Nnamdi Azikiwe air defence capabilities. of the NAF’s response capability
International Airport, Abuja; Among the DRUs, 011 PAF is Tactical Air in both internal and external
013 Quick Response Force (013 a flying unit, while 013 QRF at Command security operations”. SOC
QRF) at Minna; 015 Strategic Minna is a special forces unit Administering all the NAF’s will also become responsible
Intelligence Group (015 SIG); 041 training in hostage rescue and fighting units and air base for base defence and force
(ex-105) Communications Depot counter-terrorist operations; support formations (known protection of NAF assets.
at Shasha in Lagos; 051 Personnel part of its instruction is being as Base Services Groups or At least 6,000 NAF Regiment
Management Group (051 PMG); delivered by the Royal Air Force BSGs), TAC is tasked with the troopers are required to man
053 NAF Camp Abuja; 055 NAF Regiment under the auspices training and provision of all these units, according to NAF
Camp Lagos; 061 Aeromedical of British Military Advisory and the operational elements sources. Consequently, there’s

Above: AS332M1 Super Puma NAF 565 in Kaduna during a training exercise with
NAF Regiment troopers. This aircraft, along with NAF 567, was refurbished by
Eurocopter Romania in 2012 and was returned to service with 205 Rotary Group
in Ikeja. NAF Left: A collection of NAF aircraft including ‘old’ Alpha Jet 461,
‘new’ Alpha Jet 474, a King Air ISR platform and an AW109 LUH staging through
the military airfi eld at New Bussa, Kainji prior to their Gambia deployment in
January. NAF

www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 51