Boko Haram: NAF takes delivery of new gunships [PHOTOS]

Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Monday took delivery of two Mi-35M
helicopter gunships that the Federal Government ordered from Russia.

The Antonov aircraft, which brought the new Mi-35M helicopters,
touched down on the runway at NAF Base Makurdi at exactly 12.20pm.

The Chief of Aircraft Engineering at NAF Headquarters, Air Vice
Marshal Abdulganiyu Olabisi, received the new aircraft on behalf of
the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, NAF Director of Public Relations
and Information, made the announcement in a statement on Monday.

It said the newly delivered helicopters, which are capable of night
fighting, are all brand new and are the most sophisticated in the
Mi-series of helicopter gunships.

The statement added: "At the inception of the current NAF leadership
in 2015, it was realized that modern Mi-helicopter gunships with
night-fighting capability needed to be procured towards enhancing the
operational capability of the NAF.

"Consequently, the delivery of the helicopter gunships would go a long
way in adding impetus to the current efforts at combatting the
security challenges in Benue State and other parts of the North
Central Region as well as other forms of criminality facing the
country.

"In addition, with the delivery of the additional Mi-35M helicopters,
the on-going counterinsurgency operation in the Northeast has just
received a boost.

"It would be recalled that the NAF took delivery of the first batch of
2 brand new Mi-35M helicopters in December 2016, following which the
helicopters were inducted and had since been contributing
significantly to the counterinsurgency and other Internal Security
operations in the country.

"Furthermore, some NAF personnel had undergone training in Russia, as
Pilots and technicians on the Mi-35M helicopters, as part of the
contract.

"Sequel to the hitch-free delivery, a team of Russian and NAF
technicians will now complete the assembly of the newly received
helicopters in Nigeria prior to test flying.

"Thereafter, the helicopter gunships will be formally inducted into
the NAF, as part of the activities to mark the 54th anniversary
celebrations of the Service," he said.