Aircraft
Nigerian Airpower Hindered in Boko Haram Fight
The threat to fixed- and rotary-wing operations by Boko Haram is not insignificant, says a chief of policy for the Nigerian Air Force.
Mil-24/35 helicopters have been used to attack Boko Haram insurgents, but the Nigerian Air Force is hampered by various problems. (Photo: Russian Helicopters)
Mil-24/35 helicopters have been used to attack Boko Haram insurgents, but the Nigerian Air Force is hampered by various problems. (Photo: Russian Helicopters)

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is facing various problems in helping the country’s fight against Boko Haram, the Islamic fundamentalist insurgents who now control large areas of northeast Nigeria. In a frank presentation to the International Helicopter Conference in London recently, organized by Defence IQ, the NAF’s chief of policy and plans reported a shortage of aircraft and spares, inadequate self-protection, insufficiently trained aircrews and a lack of joint doctrine to underpin operations. A partial arms embargo is another constraint.


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