India to train Nigerian Army Helicopter Pilots

In a bid to increase the technical efficiency of its personnel in battle, helicopter pilots of the Nigerian Army will now receive aviation training from India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This follows recent requests by the Nigerian Army to acquire combat helicopters in support of deployable firepower to its field-deployed troops in the northeastern area.

The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd.) disclosed in February that a full-fledged Nigerian Army Aviation is a critical component in the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency campaigns in the country.

The Nigerian Army blamed the lack of airpower as the reason for the prolonged battle with the Boko Haram insurgents. The service also opined that it needs its own ‘air force’ to quickly wrap up the long-drawn military campaign.

In March last year, the former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd.) commissioned the first set of Nigerian Army Pilots trained by the Nigerian Army Aviation School to fly helicopters.

At that time, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd.) said that the Nigerian Army had acquired two helicopters toward the actualisation of its Aviation wing, but he declined to mention the type.

Consequently, HAL has signed a contract with the Nigerian Army to train six officers for basic helicopter flying training phase-I at the Rotary Wing Academy (RWA), Bengaluru.

The contract was signed by the Chief of Training, Nigerian Army Maj Gen. O F AZINTA & GM, Helicopter, HAL B K Tripathy, in presence of DA HCI Col. Sachin Dubey in Abuja & Dy. DA HCN, Delhi Lt. Col. Salami in Bengaluru.