Nigerian Air Force

The Nigerian Air Force was formally established on 18 April 1964 with the passage of the Air Force Act 1964 by the National Assembly. The Act stated that the 'Nigerian Air Force shall be charged with the defence of the Federal Republic by air, and to give effect thereto, the personnel shall be trained in such duties as in the air as well as on the ground.[4] " The NAF was formed with technical assistance from West Germany. The air force started life as a transport unit with aircrew being trained in Canada, Ethiopia and India. The head of the German Air Force Assistance Group (GAFAG) was Colonel Gerhard Kahtz, and he became the first commander of the NAF. The nucleus of the NAF was thus established with the formation of the Nigerian Air Force headquarters at the Ministry of Defence.

The air force did not get a combat capability until a number of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 aircraft were presented by the Soviet Union during the Nigerian Civil War. On 13 August 1967, following several damaging attacks by Biafran aircraft, the USSR started delivering first MiG-17s from Egypt to Kano IAP, simultaneously sending a large shipment aboard a Polish merchant.[5] Initially two MiG-15UTIs (NAF601 and NAF 602), and eight MiG-17s (NAF603 to NAF610) were supplied to Nigeria.[6] Later six Il-28 bombers, flown by Egyptian and Czech pilots, were delivered from Egypt and stationed at Calabar and Port Harcourt.

In July 1971 the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that Nigeria had 7,000 air force personnel and 32 combat aircraft: six Ilyushin Il-28 medium bombers, eight MiG-17s, eight Aero L-29 Delfín jet trainers, and 10 P-149D trainers.[7] Other aircraft included six C-47s, 20 Do-27/28s, and eight Westland Whirlwind and Alouette II helicopters.

During the 1970s, Nigeria bought Lockheed C-130 Hercules from the United States. Six were acquired, and officers reportedly received US$3.6 million dollars in kickbacks, compared to a total purchase price of $45 million.[8]

25 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21MFs and six MiG-21UM were delivered in 1975.

[9]. All were put into storage in the 1990s due to lack of spares and finance. Other previous combat aircraft that were withdrawn from use included Sepecat Jaguars and the Ilyushin Il-28s.

Jimi Peters wrote: '..the 1975-1980 NAF development plan restructured NAF ..formations' into group (air force) level units that reported to air force headquarters. That structure, he went on, was found too cumbersome, and thus two intermediate command (military formation)s were formed in 1978: NAF Tactical Air Command and NAF Training Command.[10]

a Nigerian Air Force Dornier Do-128-6 Turbo Skyservant

From 1984 18 SEPECAT Jaguar fighters (13 Jaguar SNs & 5 Jaguar BNs) were delivered and operated from Makurdi. They were retired in 1991.[11] Nigeria purchased 24 Aero L-39 Albatros armed jet trainers in 1986-87 and tried to obtain 27 more in 1991 but the International Monetary Fund vetoed the purchase. It also prevented a 1994 purchase of 7 Pilatus PC-7's despite approval by the government of Switzerland.

On 26 September 1992, a NAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules serial number 911 crashed three minutes after take-off from Lagos, Nigeria, when three engines failed, possibly due to high take-off weight. All 158 people on board were killed, including 8 foreign nationals.[12]

In 2005 it was reported that Nigeria has approved US$251 million to purchase 15 Chengdu F-7 fighters from China. The deal includes 12 F-7NI (NI-Nigeria) single seat fighter variant, and 3 FT-7NI dual-seat trainer aircraft.[13] The $251 million package included $220 million for 15 aircraft, plus $32 million for armaments, including 20 live PL-9C AAM, 10 training PL-9 rounds, unguided rockets, and 250/500 kg bombs. Nigerian pilots began their training in China in 2008, with delivery of the aircraft to begin in 2009.[14] Nigeria had previously considered a $160 million deal to refurbish its fleet of MiG-21's by Aerostar/Elbit Systems, IAI, and RSK MiG. However, with the new F-7 purchase, the government of Nigeria has decided to suspend the refurbishment option and grounded its fleet of MiG 21's.

In September 2009 it was reported that U.S. Air Forces Africa and 118th Airlift Wing personnel had managed to make one of the Air Force's C-130s flyable again, and that it would be dispatched to Germany for further repairs.[15] Based on material from cnapg.net,[16] it appears that this aircraft may have been NAF917.

On March 22, 2011, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas told The Associated Press that a Chinese-made F7 fighter crashed near Kano Airport. Anas said the pilot died in the crash and no other details were provided. So far all three of the F7 trainers have crashed and been written off.

On March 24, 2011, the new Air Officer Commanding of NAF Mobility Command, Air Vice Marshal John Aprekuma, said the newly established Air Force Mobility Command headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State is part of the Federal Government's strategy to protect its socio-economic interest in the Niger Delta. He said also that the presence of the command's headquarters would bring about security and calm to the people of the state because the Nigerian Air Force is a disciplined and results-oriented, military organization.[17]

On December 9, 2011, the Nigerian Air Force will get its first female pilot, Cadet Blessing Liman. The inclusion of women in the training followed a directive from the President Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2014, the Nigerian Government has approached Pakistan for the purchase of joint Chinese-Pakistani made CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter aircraft.[18] In December 2015, the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari presented a budget to the National Assembly that included N5bn for three JF-17 aircraft.[19] On March 28, 2018, The Diplomat reported Pakistan confirm sale of three JF-17 to Nigeria.[20] On March 2020, NAF Chief of Air Staff announced delivery of three JF-17 Thunder in November 2020.[21]

The Nigerian Air force constructed the first indigenous UAV called the Gulma which was unveiled by the former president Goodluck Jonathan in Kaduna. President Jonathan said that the vehicle would also be useful in aerial imaging/mapping, telecommunications, and weather monitoring. "It is also rapidly becoming an important tool in news coverage, environmental monitoring, and oil and gas exploration. "Considering the potential impact of its benefit and versatility, I cannot but say how proud I am of the men and women of our Armed Forces," the president said. "Apart from their commitment to the protection of our sovereignty, they are helping to keep our nation ahead in military science and technology and to keep their civilian counterparts on their toes.

On January 25, 2015, a photo appeared online at Beegeagle's Blog, appearing to show a CASC Rainbow CH-3 UCAV which crashed upside down near Dumge village in the Mafa District of Borno State. The two anti-tank missiles on the CH-3's wings appear to be intact. Borno is the area where much of the Boko Haram violence, including the massacre of 2,000 civilians, occurred in 2015. Currently, the Nigerian military is fighting to hold onto the city of Maiduguri against a Boko Haram onslaught, so it appears likely that the CH-3 in question was flying reconnaissance and fire support missions for the military when it crashed. The use of armed drones by Nigerian forces in combat makes Nigeria one of the first five countries to do that in combat history.

On September 28, 2018, a fatal air collision involving two F-7 aircraft occurred during a formation flying exercise involving an Aeritalia G.222 and three Alpha Jets as they practiced flight maneuvers for the 58th Independence Day celebrations in the capital, Abuja. As the F-7 jets turned to the formation flying, their wings clipped each other's side.[22] Both planes lost stability due to the collision and it resulted to the spiral lose of both jets and they both crashed at the Katampe district of Abuja. Three pilots ejected out of the crippled jets. The two pilots who were on the F-7Ni ejected and landed with minor G-force injuries, and the third pilot on the F-7 ejected and sustained head injuries due to the problems from the parachute as it deployed. The pilot later died thereafter, on the way to the hospital as emergency services rushed to the scene of the crash. The Nigerian Air Force was notified and responded with search and rescue for all three pilots, while witnesses helped in evacuating the pilots from their stricken planes.

On December 2017, NAF announced the United States agrees to sell A-29 Super Tucano after the deal previously stalled.[23] On November 2018, Sierra Nevada officially awarded contract for 12 Super Tucano for NAF with estimated completion date of 2024.[24] On April 2020, Embraer reported completion of first Super Tucano of 12 and expected full delivery in 2021.[25]

On January 2, 2019, a Mi-35M attack helicopter from the Nigerian Air Force helicopter squadron crashed in Damasak, Borno state, after it was called in to provide close-air support for troops of the 145 Battalion, combating Boko Haram insurgents. It was gathered the aircraft carrying five officers,[26] lost their lives as the helicopter crashed.

On October 15, 2019, the NAF winged its first female fighter jet pilot Lieutenant Kafayat Sanni and first female helicopter pilot Lieutenant Tolulope Arotile. They were the two female pilots among thirteen other pilots also winged.[27][28]

• airforce.mil.ng

• Michael I. Draper and Frederick Forsyth, Shadows: Airlift and Airwar in Biafra and Nigeria 1967-1970 (Howell Press, 2000) ISBN 1-902109-63-5
• Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Volume 192, No. 5615, 5–11 December 2017. pp. 26–57. ISSN 0015-3710
• Martin, Guy. "Nigerian Regeneration". Air International. Vol 83 No 5, November 2012. pp. 84–89. ISSN 0306-5634.
• Sampson, A. (1977) The Arms Bazaar: From Lebanon to Lockheed, Viking, ISBN 978-0-670-13263-8
• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 338 Sheet 01