THE Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has formally received two refurbished Super Puma helicopters. They are expected to serve in the ongoing fight against insurgency.
The helicopters, which were reactivated in Romania, were flown into the country by a team, led by Wing Commander Mike Iloenyosi. They covered about 2,500km in a 36-hour journey to Abuja.
The gunships- NAF 567 and NAF 565- were built for flexibility in tactical operations. Each has capacity to carry 20 passengers, four tonnes or 400,000 kg of loads/armoury, and can be reconfigured for medical evacuation.
Minister of Defence, Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed, who inspected the helicopters along with Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, said they would help the force in its national assignment.
On March 16, 2005, Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a contract for the reactivation of four Super Puma helicopters in the inventory of the NAF. The total cost was put at 12.9 million Euros.
SOURCE: Guardian Newspaper, 18 March 2012. http://ngrguardiannews.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment