STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: CAS at Tunis for the African Air Chiefs Symposium
Oru Leonard
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, is currently attending the Annual African Air Chiefs Symposium (AACS), holding at Tunis, Tunisia from 26 February to 1 March 2024.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information of the
Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the annual event is a multinational security cooperation initiative facilitated by the Association of African Air Force (AAAF), and sponsored by the United States Air Force for Europe and Air Force Africa. The event serves as an avenue to build on preceding symposia, identify key challenges confronting African air chiefs and their air forces, strengthen partner networks, discuss strategic airlift and share best practices for enhancing their capacities.
With the theme, “Pan-African Education and Training Opportunities,” this year’s symposium will also dissect topical issues around women, peace and security and air mobility. The symposium also aims at fostering more effective military relationships, networking, and collaboration between participating nations. Most importantly, the forum represents a unique opportunity for the African and international community of defence decision-makers to converge under one roof and brainstorm on emerging developments in air operations and strategies as well as emerging technologies. 
The symposium aligns with one of the key enablers of Air Marshal Abubakar’s Command Philosophy that prioritizes Research and Development while leveraging cutting-edge technology, strategic partnerships and lessons learnt. It also affords the CAS an opportunity to share ideas as well as interrogate new strategies that may tally with NAF’s ongoing counterinsurgency and counterterrorism efforts in a joint operating environment. About 40 African Air Force Chiefs are participating in this year’s AACS.
