Tinubu Inducts Five NAF Helicopters as Air Force Awaits 67 More Platforms
President Bola Tinubu has inducted five newly acquired helicopters into the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) inventory as the service pursues plans to acquire 67 additional aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles to strengthen its operational capabilities.
The helicopters, comprising three AW109 Trekker and two Airbus H125 aircraft, were inducted into the NAF Order of Battle on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Presidential Air Fleet hangars.
Tinubu performed the ceremony alongside the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
The aircraft were delivered to the Air Force in September 2026 as part of efforts to modernise its fleet and improve its capacity to respond to security threats across the country.
Speaking at the event, Aneke said the three AW109 Trekker helicopters would enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, armed reconnaissance and combat search-and-rescue operations.
He added that the two H125 helicopters would improve the availability of rotary-wing aircraft and give commanders greater flexibility across multiple operational theatres.
“Within the period covered by our one-year assessment, five new helicopters were delivered in September 2026. These comprised three AW109 Trekker helicopters and two H125 helicopters,” the air chief said.
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Aneke stressed that acquiring aircraft alone was not sufficient to guarantee operational effectiveness, noting that serviceability, availability and properly trained personnel remained essential to translating new equipment into usable military capability.
The induction comes amid a broader NAF modernisation programme involving 67 additional platforms expected to strengthen the service’s capabilities in intelligence gathering, air strikes, surveillance, close air support and the transportation of troops and equipment.
The expected acquisitions comprise 24 M-346 fighter and ground-attack aircraft, 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, 12 Aksungur unmanned combat aerial vehicles, seven AW109 Trekker helicopters, six T-129 ATAK helicopters, three CASA C-295 medium airlifters, two CH-4D unmanned aerial vehicles and one H-225 multi-role helicopter.
The Chief of the Air Staff disclosed the planned acquisitions earlier in October, describing the modernisation programme as a long-term capability development initiative rather than simply an exercise in purchasing new equipment.
“The modernisation programme is progressing, and we are deliberately approaching it as a long-term capability development programme rather than simply an acquisition exercise,” Aneke said in an interview with the Defence Correspondent Magazine.
The planned acquisitions are expected to expand the Air Force’s capacity for combat operations, intelligence gathering, surveillance and air mobility. Their eventual contribution will depend on delivery schedules, operational readiness, maintenance support and the availability of trained personnel.
By PRNigeria
