The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar has reiterated the Nigerian Air force,NAF, total commitment to the restoration of peace and stability to all parts of Nigeria.
He spoke on Tuesday in Kaduna, when the Air Force Institute of Technology, AFIT, graduated 82 Information Communication Systems Specialists among its personnel.
AFIT graduated the 82 airmen and airwomen after undergoing an intermediate and advanced communications and information systems courses at the institute.
Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, who was the special guest of honour, said on the occasion that effective military communications is an imperative for any successful military enterprise including the projection of air power.
In his remarks, the AFIT Commandant Air Vice Marshal Abdulganiyu A.Olabisi said the 82 students successfully completed the advanced airmen electrical electronic/ communication course, advanced airmen information technology course, advanced airmen electrical electronics/radar course, intermediate airmen electrical electronic/ communication course, intermediate airmen information technology course, intermediate airmen electrical electronics/radar course.
He said, the objective of these courses was to improve on the skills acquired by the airmen and airwomen from their basic courses. He ,however, requested for additional manpower for the institute from the NAF Headquarters and a deployment of a squadron of personnel.
The Chief of Air Staff explained that military communication is essentially the ability to promptly transmit messages, orders and reports without compromising the security of the information contained therein.
This essential characteristic has played very important role in warfare from time immemorial. “From the beginning, the prime focus of this administration has been the development of human capacity for the effective and efficient employment of air power when required.
“In this regard, the Nigerian Air Force has consistently trained personnel both locally and abroad.
The successful execution of air operations in theatres across our country is a testament of our capacity building initiatives under the broad initiative of repositioning the Nigerian Air Force into a highly professional and disciplined force that can respond in a timely manner to national security challenges” He said, the technical courses conducted at the Air Force Institute of Technology were crucial to reducing the dependence on foreign expatriates and building the confidence of their personnel.
“In recent times, the Nigerian Air Force’s effort in enhancing capacity of Communication and Information Systems personnel has led to the training of 4 Information Technology officers on Advanced Software Development at the Academy Computer Training Centre, Miami Florida, USA and 5 others on Advanced Cyber Security at Institute of Information Security, Maharashtra Pune, India.
“The Nigerian Air Force has also trained 4 Communications personnel on Forward Looking Infra-Red Camera Intermediate Maintenance Course in the USA. Also, the Chinese Electronics Import and Export Corporation has trained 3 officers and one Senior Non Commissioned Officer in China on Radar systems. “Additionally, 5 Communication and Information System officers are currently undergoing various courses in China.
In the country, a total of 20 others were trained by Forward Looking Infra-Red company USA on Airborne Tactical Observation Systems and are currently deployed in various theatres of operation across the country.
“It is expected that the knowledge acquired in these trainings would boost capacity of our Communications and Information Systems personnel such that these courses could also be conducted here at the Air Force Institute of Technology in the near future to save scarce national resources”.
He acknowledged and appreciate the efforts of the retired senior officers who were still providing meaningful contributions to the Institute’s training programmes.
The air boss reminded the graduating students that “discipline is the bedrock of any fighting force, without which, there can be no cohesion and team work.” ”
I wish to most sincerely appreciate the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for graciously providing the enabling environment to effectively discharge our constitutional mandate professionally even in the face of harsh economic realities. I therefore use this opportunity to reiterate our total commitment to the restoration of peace and stability to all parts of Nigeria,” he said.
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