By Reportcircle Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force on Thursday took another decisive leap in its modernisation campaign, winging nine newly trained Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operators in Kaduna as the Service doubles down on intelligence-driven, precision-led warfare across the country’s conflict zones.
The graduation ceremony, according to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Director of Public Relations and Information
Headquarters Nigerian Air Force,
staged at the 401 Flying Training School (401 FTS), marked the completion of Course 4 Batch B, an intensive programme that blends advanced aeronautics, systems engineering, mission planning and real-time combat simulation.
The winging places the new operators at the centre of the NAF’s strategic transition from traditional air operations to high-accuracy, tech-enabled combat support.
Representing the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the Air Officer Commanding, Air Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Yusuf Dari, hailed the graduating cohort for completing what he described as one of the Service’s most technically demanding training tracks.
Air Marshal Aneke, in his remarks, said the milestone demonstrated the NAF’s “unwavering commitment to smarter, technology-driven warfare designed to safeguard lives and strengthen national security.”
He charged the operators to wear their new wings with discipline and purpose.
“The unmanned aerial vehicles you will be operating are not merely technological marvels; they are instruments of protection, surveillance, and, when necessary, precision response,” the CAS said.
“Operate with professionalism, execute with precision, and serve with honour.”
The NAF Chief noted that the graduation comes at a pivotal moment, with Nigeria confronting increasingly adaptive threats from insurgent and terrorist cells to sophisticated criminal networks.
UAVs, he emphasised, have become decisive assets in modern operations, providing ground forces with real-time intelligence, enhancing situational awareness, and shaping battlefield outcomes with unprecedented accuracy.
Air Marshal Aneke praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continued backing of the Service’s modernisation blueprint, adding that the Federal Government’s investments in advanced air capability underscore an acute understanding that “in today’s battlespace, precision not brute force defines success.”
He also commended the Commander of 401 FTS, Air Commodore Nasiru Mohammed Saidu, for sustaining a culture of rigour and innovation that has positioned the School as a cornerstone of NAF’s transformation drive.
Air Commodore Saidu, speaking earlier, described the graduating officers as a “new breed of airmen ready to redefine Nigeria’s aerial intelligence and surveillance landscape.”
Their training, he said, equips them for critical missions ranging from reconnaissance and target tracking to precision engagement in support of surface operations.
“This milestone is not just about wings on your chest,” he told them. “It is about vision, responsibility, and service. You now represent the sharp edge of a smarter, stronger, and more strategic Nigerian Air Force.”
Under Air Marshal Aneke’s leadership, the NAF has accelerated its shift toward technology integration, advanced training and innovation-centric warfare.
The winging of the new UAV operators signals the Service’s deepening commitment to leveraging precision airpower to protect lives and secure the nation.
As these new drone specialists take their place at the forefront of operations, they embody the emerging identity of a Nigerian Air Force that is more agile, more intelligent, and more lethal against the threats that challenge the country’s stability.
