By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Hierarchy of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), said that arrangement has been concluded for the Sea Flying/Training Exercise using some selected NAF aircraft, to deny oil thieves freedom of action in the Niger Delta area.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet in a statement said, the Sea Flying Air Training Exercise is a planned sideline event at the ongoing air operations seminar in Uyo.
He said, the aim of the Exercise is basically to showcase the capabilities of the NAF as well as its presence in the ongoing air operations against crude oil theft in the South-south region of the country.
NAF Spokesperson added that it is also a training exercise that intends to improve aircrew skills in the tactical aspects of maritime operations thus enhancing their skills.
Speaking earlier at the opening of the seminar, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao said the emerging security threats across the federation is currently impinging on the nation’s stability.
He however noted that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has made significant gains in curtailing and degrading the resources and capabilities of miscreants that seek to destabilize the nation.
In particular, he praised the efforts of the NAF at unleashing the coercive effects of air power, particularly on terrorists through intensive air interdiction of their locations and facilities.
These punitive strikes, according to the CAS, have degraded their resources, disrupted their supply lines, and denied them their freedom of movement.
Air Marshal Amao said, the theme of the Operations Seminar, “Harnessing Nigerian Air Force Combat Experience in Joint Military Operations for Doctrinal Development,” was borne out of the need to draw instructions from the diverse and rich air combat experiences towards the development of sound doctrinal principles to guide future engagements.
This, according to the CAS, is largely because lessons learnt from previous campaigns remain veritable sources of inputs for doctrinal development.
He emphasized the need to take cognizance of the dynamism and complexities of the ever-changing security environment while adopting strategies that would promote NAF’s retention of credible air power capability to prosecute current and future warfare.
