Nigeria returns 4 borrowed Super Mushshak aircraft to Pakistan

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has finally returned the four Super Mushshak aircraft that were loaned to them for the training of its pilots to the Pakistani Government.

Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He stated that the aircrafts were for the ab-initio flying training of pilots at 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna State, adding that “the disassembled aircraft were loaded aboard cargo aircraft and flown out of NAF Base, Kaduna State on October 23.”

“The aircraft were temporarily made available by Pakistan Government at no cost to NAF for training of pilots in December 2016, prior to delivery of 10 trainer aircraft ordered by NAF.”

The director explained that NAF used the four Super Mushshak trainer aircraft to train four instructor pilots and graduated 16 ab-initio student pilots, including two female pilots at the 401 Flying Training School in Kaduna State.

Mr. Adesanya said the training had enhanced NAF’s ability to train its pilots locally, thereby helping to build the needed capacity to further prosecute the fight against insurgency in the North-East.

In his words:, “Having taken delivery of the first batch of five new trainer aircraft, there was no need any longer for NAF to retain the aircraft, hence their return, in line with the agreement between the two countries.