The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has explained how ground forces in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency were last year rescued from water starvation at Alagarno, Borno State.
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said NAS deployed the fastest means of tactical mobility, which involved deploying helicopters to supply drinking water to the trapped troops.
Abubakar spoke at the Logistics Commandโs simulation of air lifting, supply of relief materials held at the 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot (ACMD), Ikeja, Lagos.
The simulation was codenamed Exercise Omo Oloja. It was opened by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin.
Abubakar said: โThe critical importance of air logistics support was amply demonstrated in 2017 when the Air Force contained the development of an ugly situation in Alagarno, through supply of drinking water by helicopters to ground troops who had been cut off behind enemy lines.
โFrom the foregoing, itโs clear that the best planned operations could fail without logistics support and hence, the need to exercise logistics command regularly to determine the effectiveness of our logistics support arrangements in support of NAF operations.โ
As an instrument of national power, he said, the NAF had been contributing its quota to the counter insurgency campaign through the projection of air power as well as the deployment of Special Forces in theatre of operations.
He added: โThe service is also not unmindful of the occasional need for services to participate in humanitarian and relief operations as military aid to civil authority. It is for this reason that NAF embarks on capacity building initiatives, not only for air logistics support operations, but also to support Nigeriaโs national, sub-regional and regional obligations.
โWith recent experiences, it has become clear that without air logistics support, it is virtually impossible to execute any military operations.
โConsidering the security challenges we are facing in the country and the West African Sub Region, air power is required, not only in offensive and defensive roles, but also in collection of credible and timely intelligence. It is also required to move forces within the shortest possible time.
โIndeed, air power is very critical if Nigeria is to discharge its sub-regional obligations in ensuring stability in the sub-region as demonstrated during The Gambian crisesโฆโ
Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nnamdi Ekeh said the exercise would enable participants have practical experiences on steps to be taken in carrying out medium scale operations viz-a-viz protection of essential facilities during the airlift.
He said: โAt the end of the exercise, the personnel are expected to have a better understanding of flight preparation process, appreciating the strength and weaknesses of air transport as well as the need for close coordination between Operations, Logistics and Air Engineering staff.โ
Present at the event were General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division Maj.-Gen Musa Yusuf; Commandant, Nigeria Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) AVM Sanni Liman, among others.
