NAF takes delivery of newly reactivated aircraft

By Martha Obi, Abuja, VON

Nigeria Airforce continues to beef up its artillery and Arsenal in its sustained onslaught against terrorism and banditry.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken delivery of another reactivated aircraft, an ATR-42 (NAF 930) to sustain efforts at ensuring availability of more serviceable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms in the war against insurgency and other forms of criminality in the Country.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said “the aircraft was received at the flight line of 307 Executive Airlift Group, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who is currently in the Northeast to oversee ongoing Operation LONG REACH II”.

Daramola noted that the reactivation of the aircraft, which was successfully executed at the Rheinland Air Services (RAS) Facilities, Monchengladbach, Germany after clocking 5,000 hours of operation, was earlier scheduled to be completed within 6 months.

He stressed that due to the effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the completion date was extended by 3 months.

According to him,  over the last 5 years, the NAF, in collaboration with its technical partners, has successfully reactivated some of its platforms in-country, including conducting Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on 2 C-130H aircraft as well as the PDM/Avionics upgrade of 3 Alpha Jets.

“Being the first PDM on the ATR-42 aircraft (NAF 930) after 10 years of operation, it was considered expedient to conduct this major maintenance activity abroad to take advantage of the facilities and expertise of RAS as well as build the capacity of the NAF Engineers and Technicians that participated in the reactivation process in Germany, ” he said.

Other dignitaries present to receive the newly reactivated aircraft were the Director of Operations, AVM Ayoola Jolasinmi, Director of Air Engineering, AVM Isah Muhammad, and the Commander 307 EAG, Air Commodore Francis Edosa.