Nigerian, Egyptian Air Force collaborate on pilot training

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF and the Egyptian Air Force, EAF, have pledged to deepen cooperation in pilot training and Research and Development, R&D.

Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet disclosed that the commitment was made during a visit by Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, to his Egyptian counterpart, Lt.-Gen. Mahmoud El-Gawad, in Cairo.

Both air chiefs emphasized the long-standing history of pilot training between their air forces and discussed leveraging that relationship further. The NAF has previously trained around 50 pilots through the Egyptian Air Force.

The chiefs explored potential collaboration in overhauling NAF’s Alpha jets, with a delegation from Egypt set to visit Nigeria to assess the aircraft and enhance NAF’s tactical training capabilities.

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During his visit, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar attended the Egypt International Air Show at El-Alamein International Airport, where he engaged in key discussions with various aerospace manufacturers.

These included Aero Vodochody Aerospace, the Czech company behind the L-39NG aircraft in NAF’s fleet, and CATIC, producers of the Wing Loong Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. He also met with representatives of Ariegsa, an Egyptian firm renowned for its defense systems and aircraft simulators.

As a result of these discussions, NAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ariegsa to develop simulators for each aircraft type in NAF’s Order of Battle. Importantly, the simulators will be built in Nigeria, in collaboration with NAF engineers, facilitating local expertise and knowledge transfer.

Accompanying the Chief of the Air Staff on this trip were Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Idris, Director of Training, and Air Commodore Adebayo Bamidele, Commander of the 301 Heavy Airlift Group. The collaboration aims to enhance local expertise and improve the operational readiness of the Nigerian Air Force.

The Nigerian Air Force is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established four years after the nation became independent.

As at 2021, the air force is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of over 18,000 personnel. Some of its popular aircraft include the Chengdu F-7s, Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, JF-17 Thunder Block II, T129 Atak, Agusta Westland 109, Eurocopter EC135 and Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano aircraft.

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Tags: Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar Egyptian Air force Lt.-Gen. Mahmoud El-Gawad Nigerian Air Force