The Nigerian Air Force is to embark on joint defence venture programme with local and foreign corporations to attract more economic prosperity to itself and the country.
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a seminar titled “Effective Employment of Airpower for Nation Building, the India’s Perspective’’ held in Kaduna as part of activities to mark the 2012 Air Expo.
The communiqué said the Air Force would revitalise its defence cooperation with the Indian Air Force in areas of joint exercises, establishment of doctrinal and tactical training institutes.
It will also establish cooperation with Indian Air force in the area of inter-institute collaboration and assistance in capacity building from platforms to latest military technologies.
The communiqué said the Air Force would begin a process of integrated aerospace technology geared towards indigenisation of aircraft and systems production.
“The Air Force will lobby the Nigerian Government to collaborate with the Government of India to revitalise the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
“The Air Force will explore characteristic reach and speed as well as competencies in intelligence gathering of its various platforms to curtail the spread of terrorism to Nigeria’s immediate neighbours,’’ it said.
According to the communiqué, the Air Force will seek ways to synergies with other air forces in terms of joint training exercises and co-production of defence platforms and equipment in order to ensure fluid integration during combined operations and interoperability of platforms.
It further said that the Air Force would re-appraise its personnel to ensure recruits have a measure of technology learning and competence before appointment to service.
“The Air Force would fast-track its technology transfer drive through offsets in contract agreements during acquisition of platforms and equipment.’’
The communiqué said the Air Force would continue to lobby the Federal Government through the Ministry of Defence, for defence funding based on empirical values such as percentage of the country’s GDP.
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