The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), one of 16 worldwide to operate the A-29 Super Tucano, logged a notable 10 000 flying hours on the single-engine trainer/light attack aircraft this month.
The milestone was noted by the country’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar. He told NAF personnel at NAF Base Kainji the achievement represented the culmination of years of dedication, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to the NAF mission of “ensuring the integrity of the airspace by gaining and maintaining control of the air while retaining a credible capacity to fulfil other airpower tasks demanded by National defence and security imperatives”.
“Reaching 10 000 flight hours is no small feat as it symbolizes the countless hours of training, meticulous planning, and flawless execution that have gone into every mission we have undertaken,” Abubakar said. He paid tribute the men and women of the NAF – past and present – for their “exceptional skills, professionalism and resilience”.
Another reason for celebration was the five-figure flight hour number was achieved without any major incident on the aircraft. This Abubakar attributed to the high premium the NAF places on safety.
“Invariably, strict adherence to safety measures emplaced are enabling us to achieve the desired results,” he is reported as saying.
On the dynamics of the security environment, the Air Marshal told base personnel: “The world continues to change and new threats emerge every day. Our commitment to excellence must remain steadfast and we must continue to adapt, innovate and evolve to stay ahead of our adversaries”.
The NAF, he said, has been “critical to decimating terrorists and other criminals as well as supporting ground offensives by own troops”.
Air Vice Marshal Nnamdi Ananaba, Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command, said the 10 000 flying hours represented an average nine hours of daily flying time – or 270 hours monthly – for the past three years without a break.
First taken into NAF service three years ago, the A-29 Super Tucano has logged over 8 500 hours in day and night sorties against terrorists, bandits and other violent non-state actors threatening national peace. “No doubt, the aircraft’s night and precision munitions delivery capability has undoubtedly enhanced the NAF’s versatility, flexibility and lethality in all air operations,” an NAF statement has it.
According to Super Tucano manufacturer Embraer, the type has logged 550 000 flight hours worldwide, with 60 000 of those being combat hours.
