NAF Inducts 1,432 Recruits, Elite Special Forces to Boost Counter-terrorism Operations
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has significantly strengthened its operational capacity with the graduation of 1,432 newly trained personnel, comprising Basic Military Training Course (BMTC) 45/2025 recruits and elite Special Forces operatives, in line with efforts to enhance mission readiness for national security operations.
At the Passing Out Parade of BMTC 45/2025 held on December 20, 2025, the NAF formally inducted 1,296 recruits into its ranks after six months of intensive military training. The ceremony marked their transition from civilian life into trained airmen and airwomen of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Reviewing the parade, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the occasion as a defining milestone for the graduates and the Service, stressing that the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Air Force is anchored on the quality, discipline and professionalism of its personnel.
He said the graduation aligns with his command philosophy of building and sustaining a highly motivated, professional and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive airpower effects in synergy with surface forces to achieve national security objectives, particularly in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other asymmetric threats.
In a related development, the Nigerian Air Force also graduated 136 elite personnel under Special Forces Course 12/2025, further boosting its pool of highly skilled operatives for counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations nationwide.
Out of 250 Regiment personnel nominated and screened in September 2025, 150 candidates commenced the rigorous 13-week programme, with only 136—comprising one officer and 135 airmen and airwomen—successfully completing the course to earn induction into the NAF Special Forces, known as the “NAF Panthers.”
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Air Marshal Aneke said the Special Forces training was delivered through an upgraded, mission-oriented curriculum tailored to contemporary operational realities, covering areas such as support weapons handling, air-to-ground integration, French language proficiency, and explosive ordnance disposal and counter-improvised explosive device operations.
“Our focus is to build forces that are resilient, adaptable and fully prepared for the demands of modern counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. Mission readiness remains central to our operational effectiveness,” the CAS said.
Addressing the newly graduated recruits and Special Forces personnel, he noted that the physically and mentally demanding nature of the training was deliberate, aimed at preparing them for the realities of military service amid Nigeria’s complex security environment.
He charged the personnel to uphold discipline, teamwork, professionalism and respect for constituted authority, while assuring them of continued investment in training and welfare by the Nigerian Air Force.
The Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Idris, commended the Special Forces graduates for their discipline, endurance and professionalism, while praising the Commandant of the Regiment Training Centre Annex, Bauchi, Group Captain U.S. Agha, and his instructors for the effective delivery of the demanding programme.
Similarly, the CAS commended the Commandant, instructors and staff of the Military Training Centre, described as the cradle of military excellence in the NAF, as well as the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Shinkafi, for maintaining high training standards.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for his sustained support to the Service, and thanked the Kaduna State Government and other stakeholders for their cooperation.
Highlights of the graduation ceremonies included precision parades, the presentation of awards to outstanding personnel, and the emergence of C-130 Squadron as the Champion Squadron of BMTC 45/2025.
The combined graduations underscore the Nigerian Air Force’s deliberate and sustained efforts to build professional manpower and elite capabilities in support of joint operations and national security objectives across the country.
By PRNigeria
