CAS Inspects Ongoing In-Country Periodic Depot Maintenance On 3 Alpha Jet Aircraft, Other Projects In Kainji
Oru Leonard
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Monday 22 January, undertook an inspection visit to 407 Air Combat Training Group (407 ACTG) Kainji to assess progress of the ongoing in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on 3 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet aircraft.
The CAS, who was accompanied by other senior officers from Headquarters (HQ) NAF, was received on arrival in Kainji by the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command (AOC ATC), Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Suleiman, and briefed on the progress of work by the Commanding Officer 16 Logistics Wing (CO 16 Log Wg), 407 ACTG, Wing Commander Agyo Haruna, who stated that the team of expatriate and NAF engineers and technicians, working jointly, had so far stripped some of the major component parts of the aircraft and were working to get the job done on schedule.
The CAS also inspected ongoing work on the Engine Bay, Aircraft Electrical and Instruments Engineering Workshop as well as the Offices of Hangar Chief and Engine Dock Chief, among others, which were being renovated and upgraded with modern test equipment and new furniture to improve the maintenance capacity of the Wing. While in Kainji, the CAS also inspected the construction work on a block of 18 units of 2-bedroom Married Senior Non Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) Accommodation, as well as other facilities in the Base.
In his remarks after the inspection tour, the CAS expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the PDM and also commended the Commander 407 ACTG, Squadron Leader Kingsley Igwegbe, and CO Eng Wg for their hard work, commitment and dedication in ensuring steady progress of the job. He emphasized that, apart from hastening the overall timeframe of the maintenance job, the in-country PDM, would allow the NAF engineers and technicians involved in the project to build their capacity to enable them ultimately carry out major aspects of such high level maintenance activities on their own in the future.
The CAS therefore urged the personnel to make maximum use of the opportunity to enhance NAF’s self-reliance. Speaking further, Air Marshal Abubakar noted that completion of the in-country PDM would boost the NAF’s Air Power employment capability by increasing the number of Alpha Jet aircraft available for combat operations in the various Theatres of Conflict. The CAS said HQ NAF, on its part, would continue to do its utmost, to improve the welfare of personnel. “The human being is the most critical factor to the effective and efficient performance of any organization. Hence, we will continue to place premium on addressing the welfare needs of our personnel”, he said.
