The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has announced that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is making significant investments to ensure that all operable aircraft in its inventory become fully serviceable by the fourth quarter of 2025.

Speaking at the 2025 Aircraft Engineering Conference held at NAF Headquarters, themed “Enhancing Aircraft Serviceability in the NAF through Strong Maintenance Culture and Strategic Partnerships”, Air Marshal Abubakar noted that the NAF is committing substantial resources to improve aircraft serviceability. This includes regular procurement of consumables required for quarterly maintenance across its fleet.

“We have consistently ensured the timely availability of critical spares, updated technical publications, ground support equipment, tools, and specialized machinery,” he said.

He added, “Thanks to these efforts, we have attained an average serviceability rate of about 72 per cent. However, our target remains a 90 per cent serviceability rate across all platforms. To this end, we are investing heavily to ensure that every operable aircraft becomes fully mission-ready by Q4 2025.”

The CAS emphasized that maintaining a strong culture of aircraft maintenance is essential for sustaining high serviceability rates, which in turn ensures operational readiness and supports the delivery of air power in pursuit of national security objectives.

According to him, the NAF adopted a predictive maintenance system in April 2024, which allows the Service to anticipate and schedule maintenance activities in advance, thereby reducing unexpected equipment failures.

“In the last two years, the NAF has significantly enhanced its operational capacity. We’ve inducted 15 brand-new aircraft, including six T-129 ATAK helicopters, two AW-109 Trekker Type A helicopters, three Beechcraft King Air aircraft, and four Diamond 62 aircraft,” he said.

He further revealed that an additional 49 platforms are expected by 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 aircraft.

“These platforms are highly sophisticated and require advanced maintenance to keep them mission-ready. Therefore, alongside proactive logistics and resource provision, we must adopt modern, innovative, and data-driven maintenance techniques for both aircraft and armaments,” he emphasized.

Air Marshal Abubakar described the theme of the conference as “apt and timely,” stating it aligns closely with his Command Philosophy.

Also speaking, the Chief of Aircraft Engineering, Air Vice Marshal A.I. Amodu, underscored the critical role of aircraft engineering in achieving the NAF’s mission and objectives.

“In this era of rapid technological advancement and evolving security threats, it is crucial that we take a forward-looking approach to engineering support,” he said.

“This conference presents a valuable opportunity to exchange insights, explore innovative strategies, and deepen our understanding of how a strong maintenance culture directly enhances operational readiness and efficiency.

“By prioritizing maintenance, we not only extend the lifespan of our platforms but also significantly boost our overall mission effectiveness.”