The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has kicked off the specialised warfare training of its personnel in Kaduna, in collaboration with the British Military Assistance Training Team (BMATT).

The six-week BMATT training programme for selected NAF personnel is aimed at developing the capacity of the personnel to train others for Force Protection in a complex environment.

According to a statement by the Director of the Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, “The training is a continuation of the NAF’s efforts at strengthening its Base Defence system to be able to respond to a wide range of situations that might threaten NAF Bases across the country.”

News Express recalls that NAF only recently held a Base Defence Retreat and commissioned an electronic shooting range as well as the newly built Regiment Training Centre in Kaduna, in preparation for the commencement of the BMATT training.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding, Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Christopher Okoye, had urged the selected personnel to take full advantage of the programme. He added that they were the pioneering students, who would in turn be involved in the training of other NAF personnel from the Regiment Specialty. He equally restated the commitment of the Service to capacity building, as indicated in the training facilities, which the NAF had just upgraded to enhance effective learning.

NAF’s collaboration with BMATT, which commenced in 2016, is for five years and has so far resulted in the training of 656 personnel.

The BMATT programme is designed as a six-week exercise that would run concurrently with the Basic Regiment Airmen’s Course. A total of 66 instructors from BMATT would be involved in the training programme.