The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, says the military has decimated insurgents and other criminal elements terrorising the country.

Mr Amao said this was achieved through deploying modern platforms provided to the Nigerian Air Force and sister agencies by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This is contained in a statement by NAF spokesman Edward Gabkwet on Thursday.

He said NAF and other sister agencies had effectively operationalised the new weapons and platforms on the battlefield.

Mr Amao made the remarks during an operation tour of 205 Combat Search and Rescue Group, Kerang, Plateau, and 22 Quick Response Wing, Lafia in Nasarawa.

“No doubt that some of the new platforms in NAF’s Order of Battle, particularly the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are the reasons behind our success,” the air marshal stated.

The air force chief added that more was needed to completely decimate and flush out the remnants of terrorists still preying on soft targets and warned troops against complacency.

Mr Amao revealed that the air force was expecting the delivery of additional new platforms, which Mr Buhari had approved.

“These platforms include two CASA-295 medium airlift aircraft, two Beechcraft King Air 360, four Diamond DA-62 surveillance aircraft, three Wing Loong II UCAVs and six T-129 ATAK helicopters,” the NAF chief said. “Others are two Agusta 109 Trekker multi-role helicopters, 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters and 24 M-346 attack aircraft to boost NAF’s air power employment and projection capabilities as well as air combat training. A few of these additional platforms are expected to be delivered to NAF before the end of the first quarter of 2023.”

(NAN)