Authorities of the Nigerian Air Force, on Wednesday, revealed that it is expecting at least 49 new aircraft before the end of 2026.
It listed the aircraft being expected as 3 CASA 295 aircraft, 10 AW-109 Trekker Type B helicopters, 12 AH-1Z helicopters and 24 M-346 fighter jets
This is as the NAF said it would achieve a 90 per cent aircraft serviceability rate across all platforms by the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Chief of Air Staff, Hasan Abubakar, an Air Marshal, announced these at NAF headquarters Abuja during the 2025 Aircraft Engineering Conference.
Daily Trust reports that the conference was themed: “Enhancing Aircraft Serviceability in the NAF through Strong Maintenance Culture and Strategic Partnerships”.
The conference, according to the senior military officer, focused on improving fleet maintenance and operational efficiency.
Speaking during the opening session of the event, Abubakar said the aircraft that are being expected are all high-tech platforms that require very sophisticated maintenance activities to operate effectively.
“49 more aircraft are expected to arrive before the end of 2026. These include three CASA 295 aircraft, 10 AW-109 Trekker Type B helicopters, 12 AH-1Z helicopters, and 24 M-346 fighter jets.
“These aircraft are all high-tech platforms that require very sophisticated maintenance activities to operate effectively,” the senior military officer told the gathering before the event went into a closed-door.
The Air Chief explained that the NAF currently maintains an average aircraft serviceability rate of 72 per cent, which he attributed to consistent investments in critical spare parts, maintenance consumables, updated technical publications, ground support equipment, and personnel training.
“Similarly, we have been relentless in ensuring the timely provision of critical spares as well as the provision of up-to-date technical publications, ground support equipment, tools, and specialised equipment.
“Through these efforts, we have achieved an average serviceability rate of about 72 per cent. However, the target is a 90 per cent serviceability rate across all our platforms.
“Significant investments have been made to ensure that every operable aircraft in the NAF inventory becomes serviceable by the Fourth Quarter of 2025,” he added.
