Airforces

frica’s most populous

and richest country

in terms of gross

domestic product, Nigeria

is plagued by serious socio-

economic and security problems,

despite ongoing attempts by

its military and security forces

to counter and defeat them.

The resurgent Nigerian Air Force

(NAF), which celebrated its 53rd

anniversary in April, is in the thick

of multiple counter-insurgency

(COIN) and internal security

(IS) operations, supporting the

army, navy, police and security

forces on many fronts.

Last year, for example, it

was simultaneously engaged

in five combat operations.

Among these, the

well-publicised

Operation Lafiya

Dole against Boko

Haram included the

accidental bombing

of a refugee camp at

Rann, which killed a

large number of civilians

on January 17 this year.

The NAF leadership ascribed

the tragedy to a ‘communications

gap’ in the operational chain.

Meanwhile, Lafiya Dole

continues unabated as Boko

Haram regroups after each

offensive and continues to attack

Nigerian and Multinational Joint

Task Force (MNJTF) forces.

Despite repeated official

announcements

about the group’s

degraded capability

and imminent demise,

the stark reality is

that Boko Haram

remains a serious

threat, the solution

to which requires more

than military engagement.

As the leading nation in West

Africa, Nigeria’s air force also

maintains commitments to

international peace support,

deploying transport and combat

aircraft under the African Union-

led African International Support

Mission to Mali (AFISMA) in 2013

• and to Senegal and Gambia in
  January and February this year,

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

The Nigerian Air Force

is making efforts to

become an efficient,

modern air arm in

the face of constant

terrorist threats and

sectarian violence. In

the first of a two-part

study, M Mazumdar

unravels some of the

confusion and secrecy

surrounding the NAF.

Above: Hard-working C-130H NAF

913 is one of three Hercules that

are in active service with the

301 (ex-201) Heavy Airlift Group

‘Buff aloes’ based at Ikeja IAP.

48 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

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FORCE REPORT Nigerian Air Force Part One