The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken delivery of the second batch of Super Mushshak trainer aircraft which the Federal government ordered from Pakistan. The Ilyushin 76 Strategic Airlifter aircraft that brought the new Super Mushshak aircraft touched down at NAF Base, Kaduna, at exactly 7.45 on Sunday.
The Chief of Logistics at NAF Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Bello Garba, received the new aircraft on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. A combined team of NAF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel were also present to assist in offloading the new aircraft, some parts of which came in crates.
In addition, officials of the National Customs Service and the National Immigration Service were present to ensure necessary documentation. The newly delivered aircraft, which are capable of being used for acrobatics training, are all brand new and fitted with digital glass cockpit.
Five in number, the consignment is the final batch of 10 Super Mushshak aircraft, the procurement of which the government initiated in 2016.
As at 2015, local primary flying training in the NAF was almost grounded, thus necessitating the procurement of the Super Mushshak Aircraft.
Air Force personnel say with the delivery of the new Super Mushshak aircraft, primary flying training of NAF pilots at 401 Flying Training School (FTS), Kaduna has received a boost.
Said a source: “Without doubt, the delivery of the aircraft would go a long way in helping to sustain the process of building capacity to effectively prosecute the counter-insurgency operations in the North East as well as other forms of criminalities in the country.”
The NAF took delivery of the first batch of 5 new Super Mushshak Aircraft on 14 July 2017, following which the aircraft were inducted and deployed for primary training of NAF pilots.
Some NAF personnel had undergone training in Pakistan, as Instructor Pilots and technicians on the Super Mushshak aircraft, as part of the contract. The delivery went without any hitches and the Ilyushin 76 Aircraft has departed from Nigeria. The new aircraft will be assembled in Nigeria by a team of PAF and NAF technicians prior to test flying and formal induction into the NAF fleet.