The federal government is expecting the delivery of six brand new helicopter gunships from Italy, in addition to 12 military aircraft ordered from the United States, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has said.
Abubakar made the disclosure in Kano yesterday while commissioning a multi-billion naira Modular Theatre at the 465 Nigerian Air Force hospital.
He said the aircraft were procured in order to intensify war against insurgency in the Northeast.
He said the United States of America and Italy have been very supportive in the on-going fight against insurgency.
“In the last three and half years, the FG has procured 18 brand new aircrafts for the Air Force. The force is expecting 12 additional aircraft from the USA and six helicopter gunships from Italy respectively”, he said.
On the Modular Theatre, Abubakar charged officers and men of the force to make good use of the facilities in the hospital.
He also implored the commander in-charge of the hospital to ensure that people living around the area also benefit from the services being rendered at the facility.
The Chief of Air Staff promised that additional facilities would be provided to the hospital.
Earlier, the NAF Chief of Medical Services, Air Commodore M.E. Shu’aibu, said with the new theatre, injured personnel from the North-east could be cared for.
