NAF Holds International Air Power Seminar to Enhance Operational Stratergy
By Punarmam Fehintola
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) today flagged off a 3-day international seminar aimed at bringing together operators and stakehokders in air power to exchange ideas on its effective application in asymetric warfare.
The seminar with the theme “Air Power in Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Understanding and Responding” was declared opened by President Muhammadu Buhari with participants from 20 countries today in Abuja.
The seminar objective is to enhance the counterinsurgency efforts of the NAF in the Northeast by drawing from the experiences of other air forces either previously or currently engaged in similar operations across the globe.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Buhari noted that the seminar was quite timely, in that since the Boko Haram crisis broke out in North East Nigeria, the NAF and indeed the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been at the vanguard of the multi-agency efforts to combat the menace posed by the sect.
He however admitted that the Boko Haram insurgency has challenged the nation’s security architecture including its military doctrine, tactics, training, force protection and Order of Battle.
“Accordingly, it has become necessary for the Armed Forces including the NAF to review its strategy by drawing from the experiences of other air forces that have effectively tackled similar challenge. He therefore commend the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for the initiative of organizing the seminar.
He also expressed the determination to enhancing the welfare of all service personnel to enable them give their utmost in their service to the nation, assuring that the armed forces are appropriately trained and equipped to deal with the contemporary challenges of a globalised world, of which insurgency and terrorism have become of greatest concern.
In his opening remark, the Minster of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali disclosed that the seminar would further provide new options for the NAF in its counterinsurgency operations base on experiences from other countries.
While emphasising on the joint and inter ministerial nature of the counterinsurgency operations, the Minister expressed his pleasure with officers, airmen and airwomen of the NAF for the consistent and professional manner in which they have handled the operation.
On his part, the CAS explained that the changing character of warfare has imposed the need for a change in the way armed forces approach warfare noting that ” while engagement in conventional or regular warfare remain a possibility, the global predominant threat to nations has become more irregular in nature. We therefore deem it necessary to host this air power seminar to serve as a platform for exchange of ideas on the way forward, ” he said.
Participating countries include Cameroun, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Columbia, Morocco, kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kenya and South Africa. Other are Jordan, Chad, senegal, France, Turkey, Pakistan, Uk, Guinea Bissau, Niger and Togo, and USA.
