The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has led a high-level engagement in the United States to fast-track the delivery of 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), aimed at boosting its combat capability and mission readiness.
The Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Ejodame said the engagement, a Programme Management Review meeting, was held from Jan. 5 to Jan. 6 in San Diego, California, with senior officials of the United States Government and representatives of Bell Textron.
Speaking at the meeting, Aneke said the acquisition of the helicopters was critical to strengthening the NAF’s capacity to deliver decisive airpower in support of Nigeria’s national security objectives.
He described the structured review process as a demonstration of the NAF’s commitment to programme discipline, accountability and results-driven capability development.
“We deeply value the professionalism and openness demonstrated throughout this process, and we remain fully committed to working closely with our partners to ensure the timely and successful delivery of these platforms,” the air chief said.
Aneke explained that beyond upgrading platforms, the AH-1Z programme reflected the depth of defence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, anchored on mutual trust, shared values and a common vision for regional and global security.
“This partnership speaks to our collective resolve to confront evolving security challenges through collaboration and sustained capability development,” he added.
The CAS assured the U.S. team of the NAF’s sense of urgency, stressing that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure the helicopters are delivered in the shortest possible time.
He also charged the programme management team to work proactively to complete production on schedule and within budget.
“Timelines and standards must be met concurrently. We must remain focused, innovative and solutions-driven,” Aneke said.
The air chief expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for his unwavering support to the Nigerian Air Force.
According to him, the AH-1Z helicopters will significantly enhance the NAF’s operational efficiency, precision strike capability and support to ground forces, while helping to minimise collateral damage during operations.
Aneke reassured Nigerians of the NAF’s commitment to tackling terrorism and criminality with professionalism, restraint and accountability, while sustaining public trust and confidence in its operations.