The Nigerian Air Force says it has begun the in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) of three Alpha Jet aircraft at the 407 Air Combat Training Group (407 ACTG) , Kainji.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, announced this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
He said the in-country PDM, which commenced on Dec.19, was expected to further boost aircraft availability for the conduct of air operations, whilst enhancing the capacity of NAF engineers and technicians involved in the maintenance activity.
“It would also further improve the NAF’s self-reliance and prudent management of resources,” he said.
Daramola said NAF was also expecting arrival of two new attack helicopters by March 2019.
He said with the support of the Federal Government, the NAF was also conducting in-country PDM of one of its C-130 aircraft, NAF 917, at the 631 Aircraft TVMaintenance Depot (631 ACMD).
“The PDM on NAF 917 has reached an advanced stage while the in-house life extension programme on another C-130H aircraft, NAF 913, was completed earlier this year.
“These have all contributed to raising the serviceability status of NAF operable aircraft from about 36 per cent in 2015 to its current levels of between 78 and 82 per cent,” he said.
He noted that the NAF recently recovered another Alpha Jet aircraft, NAF 476, from the United States of America.
He said the aircraft, which was ferried into Nigeria on Dec. 6, would soon be deployed for operations in the Northeast.
” Furthermore, the NAF is expecting the delivery of the first batch of Agusta Westland 109 Power attack helicopters, comprising 2 units, ordered from Italy.
He disclosed that the aircraft would be inducted into the service by President Muhammadu Buhari in March 2019. With reports by NAN
