Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar has served in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for more than 30 years. A pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours, he has served as the officer commanding ‘B’ Squadron and commanding officer Base Services Wing at 81 Air Maritime Group. He spent much of his career at the 88 Military Airlift Group in Ikeja. He also served as the fleet operation officer and later as the commander of the 011 Presidential Air Fleet in Abuja. Internationally, he was a team leader for the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In June 2023, he was appointed chief of air staff. The NAF released this interview with Abubakar through Coral Coast Public Relations during the African Air Forces Forum in May 2024. It has been edited for space and clarity.
Q: The Nigerian Air Force is marking its 60th anniversary. What are some of its noteworthy achievements?
A: Indeed, the Nigerian Air Force has come of age, having undergone significant transformation in its organization, manning and equipment. At inception in 1964, the service was barely able to carry out its primary responsibilities of defending the nation from the air, due to the few platforms that were available. Up to 1970, the service relied solely on foreign partners such as the German Air Force Assistance Group for technical and nontechnical training. Nevertheless, the service was still able to participate in the Civil War, which started in 1967, and it rose up to the challenge in spite of its infancy. Over the years, particularly during its formative years in the 1970s up to 1990, the NAF underwent upgrades in platforms and equipment, while new ones were also acquired. The service further experienced reorganization of its force structure, while bolstering its training and aircraft maintenance capacity. Between 1990 and 2000, the NAF underwent some expansion as it established new commands and formations, increasing its presence across Nigeria. Perhaps the most noteworthy achievements of the NAF have been recorded in the era beginning in 2000. The NAF contributed greatly to restoring peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Mali. The service has acquired significant technical and nontechnical capabilities and now has the capacity to conduct most of its training in-country. The service’s foray into the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the increased use of precision-guided munitions has revolutionized our contributions to the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts. With its current array of available and expected platforms, the NAF can confidently boast a balanced tactical force that can effectively safeguard Nigeria’s sovereignty, ensure her national security, and contribute to peacekeeping missions both regionally and globally.
Q: How has the Nigerian Air Force adapted to evolving security threats, particularly regarding counterterrorism and border security?
A: Hitherto, the NAF was largely trained and equipped to conduct conventional warfare and operations in the execution of its primary role of defending the territorial integrity of a united Nigeria from the air. However, events of the last decade or thereabouts of NAF’s involvement in asymmetric warfare dictated the need for a change in approach to address unconventional threats from nonstate actors. In adapting to these threats, the NAF had to overhaul its training curricula to accommodate the tactics employed by nonstate actors. The service also focused on force protection of its troops and assets by increasing the training and employment of NAF regiment/special operations forces personnel. These well-trained personnel embarked on ground offensives to search, find and neutralize these criminals by taking the war to them. The induction of new platforms such as helicopters, manned and unmanned surveillance platforms, unmanned combat aerial vehicles and ground attack platforms such as the Super Tucano aircraft have all been part of our adaptation strategy that gives the NAF the technological edge over the nonstate actors.
Q: How does the Nigerian Air Force prioritize innovation and make use of the latest technology?
A: To sustain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving security landscape, the NAF has embarked on a robust research and development drive to keep pace with emerging technologies and their application in modern warfare. To this end, the NAF, through its Air Force Institute of Technology and Air Force Research and Development Centre, collaborates with institutions in the areas of UAV, small arms and rockets development, as well as radar development. At the moment, we are partnering with some organizations to establish an air vehicle development center. The initiatives are aimed at providing the NAF with the requisite technological edge to optimally operate and maintain the sophisticated platforms and equipment in its inventory.
Q: What are the Nigerian Air Force’s strategies regarding flight simulation and training?
A: We have several flight simulators for different aircraft types in our inventory. The employment of these simulators over the years has proved to be both operationally effective and efficient, as the NAF has produced pilots who have proved themselves to be highly professional. Flight simulation has also been cost-saving and time-saving. Furthermore, the use of flight simulators has improved safety and enhanced professionalism.
Q: What is the NAF implementing to adapt to the evolving landscape of aerial warfare and defense, particularly with the introduction of UAS and other disruptive technologies?
A: The NAF has recently reinvigorated its platform acquisition drive due to increased commitments in combating internal security challenges and the need to maintain a balanced and modern air force. Based on this, I set out my command philosophy to transform the NAF into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments. Achieving such agility and resilience also demands the right mix of platforms. Accordingly, certain changes have been made in our platform procurement strategies, drawing lessons from ongoing engagements and projecting into the future. The service is inducting more UAS with precision-strike capabilities to minimize collateral damage during internal security operations. The induction of more attack and utility helicopters is another area where the NAF is looking to consolidate its efforts in order to meet the battlefield demands of the surface forces and also maintain a considerable agility and fighting edge over the insurgents. In the area of fighter ground attack platforms, the service is considering modernization to overhaul its aging fleets for a more agile and potent air force. This is also followed by a decent investment into acquisition of requisite air defense assets and capabilities necessary to secure our nation from the air. In order to sustain requisite resilience and keep up with the maintenance of the array of modern platforms being inducted into the service, we have made arrangements to also mobilize the original equipment manufacturers for prompt delivery of services to ensure a high level of aircraft and equipment serviceability in the NAF.
Q: What initiatives are being pursued for the well-being and professional advancement of NAF personnel, particularly regarding training and career development opportunities?
A: Training is an area that the NAF considers very seriously, because it is our belief that any machine is only as good as the man behind it. To this end, we have embarked on a range of robust training initiatives. This is underpinned by one of the key enablers of my command philosophy, which is deliberate training and mission-oriented force development. Already we have sustained the training of our personnel both locally and internationally. At the moment, many personnel have either recently completed or are undergoing various training courses in-country. In terms of foreign training, hundreds of our personnel are attending a variety of courses abroad. Apart from flying-related courses, these individuals are also being trained in fields cutting across logistics, aircraft maintenance, safety and communications, among others. As part of the initiatives, we had made a request to foreign defense attaches in Nigeria for more training slots, particularly for pilot training, specialized and advanced maintenance training, as well as continuous professional military training to bridge identified skills gaps in the NAF. Another initiative is the complete overhaul of our basic military training to focus on graduating high-quality trained airmen and airwomen. We have begun a holistic assessment and review of the course curriculum, training facilities and infrastructure to identify and address gaps in all training institutions.
Q: In what ways does the NAF contribute to broader initiatives aimed at improving regional cooperation and collective security across Africa?
A: The NAF has contributed to regional cooperation initiatives under the auspices of organizations such as the United Nations, African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. Through its numerous deployments, the NAF has contributed to the furtherance of the Nigerian government’s commitments and willingness to combat national and regional threats to peace and security in Nigeria, West Africa, the Gulf of Guinea and the entire African continent. The NAF also is cooperating with neighbors in the conduct of ongoing counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. We are doing this as part of the Nigerian contingent through the Multinational Joint Task Force.