Maj.-Gen. David Baldwin, Adjutant-General of the California National Guard (CNG), United States, has expressed his organization’s readiness to assist the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in the development of its Air-Ground Integration School.
Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, announced this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to Gabkwet, Baldwin made the revelation during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, at the NAF Headquarters.
He stated that the offer would go a long way toward better interconnecting airborne and ground systems, as well as increasing the lethality of NAF operations.
Baldwin also expressed his organization’s desire to assist NAF in improving its safety plans and strategies.
“We will also work with the NAF to improve and enhance its intelligence gathering capabilities, particularly in the area of cyber warfare and the need for close monitoring of the cyberspace as it has recently become the new battleground employed by foes,” he said.
He did, however, emphasize the importance of improving NAF personnel’s capacity in cyber warfare sequencing and cyber engagement programs.
In terms of gender balancing, Baldwin stated that the CNG encouraged female personnel to lead critical positions and urged the NAF to follow suit.
Baldwin, as a result, emphasized the importance of collaboration between CNG and NAF senior non-commissioned officers, particularly in capacity development, particularly in the areas of leadership and command.
He did, however, extend an invitation to CAS to visit the CNG, while also expressing his organization’s willingness to receive NAF technicians and operators at no cost.
This, he explained, was to be embedded within the CNG in order to share ideas and improve capacity.
In his remarks, Amao thanked Baldwin for Nigeria’s consistent support, as well as what the NAF has continued to receive from the United States and its armed forces.
AVM Remigus Ekeh, Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), NAF Headquarters, represented the CAS.
Amao claimed that one of the recent consequences of the support was the delivery of the 12 A-Super Tucano aircraft, as well as the capacity enhancement of NAF pilots, engineers, and Air-Ground Integration (AGI) professionals.
The CAS also stated that the visit was in support of military-to-military relations between the United States and Nigeria, as well as the State of California Partnership Program with Nigeria.
This, he said, had been in place since 2006 and would undoubtedly strengthen NAF’s current partnership.
Amao went on to say that the collaboration had resulted in over 100 military-to-military bilateral engagements ranging from military intelligence to counter-improvised explosive device training, combat medic, military aviation, military law, and disaster response/emergency management.
He did, however, highlight areas of intended collaboration with the CNG, such as spares and technical support, as well as training of NAF engineers and technicians in the maintenance of NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft.
He also mentioned the availability of firefighting equipment and training aids.
The CAS expressed gratitude for CNG’s continued support of NAF operational efforts in the fight against all forms of criminality in Nigeria.