The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Tuesday ‘winged’ two combat pilots after successfully completing an 18-month Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas in the United States of America.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya said on Tuesday that the two newly ‘winged’ pilots, both of the rank of Flying Officer, went through the primary and fighter jet training during which they amassed over 100 flying hours each on the T-6 Texan ii and T-38 Talon aircraft types.

“The two officers had earlier undergone an introductory flying training at the US Aviation Academy in Denton, where they flew the Cessna 172 aircraft. They will now be deployed to NAF combat units for tactical training on fighter jets,” Adesanya explained.

In his remarks, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar reiterated that the NAF would not relent in its efforts at human capacity building, noting that the service could not function optimally without appropriate personnel training.

The CAS further stated that the NAF was already reaping from its huge investment in human capacity building, as reflected in the several NAF aircraft that had been successfully reactivated, with attendant effect on operational efficiency.

According to the CAS, “only the right training can enable personnel deal with the complex security challenges facing the country. We will therefore continue to build human capacity while also ensuring that our humanitarian intervention schemes are going on.”

Air Marshal Abubakar congratulated the new pilots and urged them to quickly settle down and join the rest of their colleagues in defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

Earlier, the Chief of Training and Operations, who was represented by the Director of Training (DOT), Air Vice Marshal Muhammed Idris, thanked the CAS for availing the pilots the opportunity to be trained at the prestigious Laughlin Air Force Base, remarking that the training came with special laurel because of the uniqueness of the school.

Adesanya recalled that only less than three weeks ago, NAF ‘winged’ 10 officers who had just completed their one-year pilot training programme in South Africa.