Page 54 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

FORCE REPORT Nigerian Air Force Part One

The school also delivers refresher
training to NAF pilots and IPs.
The last year for which training
syllabus data is known is 2009.
Then, student pilots were
expected to undergo around
50 hours of ab initio training at
301 FTS before proceeding to
303 FTS for 120 or so hours of
basic training on the L-39ZA.
Pilots in the transport stream
then underwent a flying course
on the Do 228, while those
destined for fighters went to Above: The NAF is one of the few air forces operating UAVs in an armed reconnaissance role. Chinese-supplied CH-3As
the 99 Air Weapons School – are used at distances of around 124 miles (200km) from their base stations on armed ISR/air interdiction missions. NAF
now known as 407 (ex-117) Air School (IHFS) at Enugu has been various operational units like In April a batch of pilots
Combat Training Group (ACTG) training rotary-wing pilots, the 115 SOG at Port Harcourt for returned after completing
at Kainji – for at least 50 hours facility gaining Nigerian Civil training on the Mi-24/35 and tactical combat training with the
of tactical training on the Alpha Aviation Authority certification presumably the EC135. Egyptian Air Force. Another 29
Jet, followed by FT-7NI flying as an Approved Training Kaduna is a hub for NAF are training in South Africa, while
with the operational conversion Organisation by August 2013. training and research and around ten more are at civilian
unit (OCU) at Makurdi. Well staffed with IPs (unlike development (R&D) activities. Its schools in the UK and in Jordan
Pilots destined for helicopters 305 FTS, which had only one units include the Ground Training at the King Hussein Air College.
first complete their primary or two), IHFS trains civilian Group; Regimental Training On April 23, NAF Day, six pilots
flying training at 401 FTS, but the and military pilots on a fleet Centre; Air Force Institute of received their wings – among
NAF’s initial attempt to deliver of at least four Robinson R66 Technology; and the Air Force them four helicopter pilots from
helicopter pilot training through helicopters. Some pilots also Research and Development the IHFS at Enugu and two from
the now defunct 305 FTS at receive instruction overseas. Centre (AFRDC), set up in 2015 the King Hussein Air College.
Enugu was fraught with difficulty. After passing their primary after the NAF formulated Since then, ten pilots were
The school graduated a first course at 401 FTS, student pilots its R&D policy in 2012. ‘winged’ in June after gaining
batch of 11 pilots (from an proceed to advanced flying Earlier this year the NAF Institute their CPLs from Westline Aviation
intake of 17 students) between training at the International of Safety (NAFIS) was in the in South Africa while two more
1986 and 1994, using the Aviation College in Ilorin, for their process of moving from Ipetu- combat pilots were winged
Hughes 300C, while a second commercial pilot’s licence (CPL) Ijesha to Kaduna. Meanwhile, in early July after completion
batch of six emerged between or to one of various countries other training school units are of their 18-month Specialized
2000 and 2003 using the including Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, based at 451 NAF Station, Jos. Undergraduate Pilot Training
Mi-34S – before the Russian South Africa, the UK, the US There’s been a sharper focus with the US Air Force at Laughlin
helicopters were withdrawn and others in Eastern Europe. on training in recent years, both Air Force Base, Texas.
after early gearbox failures. On gaining their licence, they locally delivered (known as
According to senior NAF take conversion and captaincy ‘lotrac’) and overseas. In 2016, Logistics Command
officials, the quality of training training on the AW109 LUH with the NAF trained 869 personnel Headquartered at Ikeja in Lagos,
provided was poor. 405 (ex-1130 Helicopter Combat abroad, including 101 pilots and Logistics Command procures
Since early 2012, the Training Group (HCTG) at Enugu, 357 engineers, while 4,868 were equipment and maintains it in a
NAF-run International followed by type conversion trained locally – among them state of operational readiness.
Helicopter Flying onto specific helicopters, with 131 pilots and 643 engineers. Units include 531 (ex-401)

G222 NAF 955 was acquired from Alenia in 2008 as part of a 2005 deal to reactivate five older but unserviceable aircraft acquired in 1984-85 that are serialled
950-954. In the event only around two aircraft – NAF 950 and possibly 952 – were actually returned to service. Two others – 953 and 954 – have been stored at
Ikeja, without wings, since December 2005. The two or three airworthy examples were heavily utilised in 2014-15 for troop transport but are currently thought to
be inoperable. Around two examples were undergoing maintenance at Ikeja as of early 2017.

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