The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has begun the training of pilots and other personnel on the 612A Anti-UAV Radar System to enhance counter-drones operations in an asymmetrical warfare environment in the North-East.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, declared open the personnel’s training session, at the weekend, in Maiduguri, Borno State, at the headquarters of Air Component, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).

He said: “Today’s training programme aims to equip NAF operations with advanced skills in detecting and neutralising hostile drones in the country, including border communities with Niger, Chad, Benin and Cameroon.”

Abubakar noted that the intensive training on the Anti-UAV Radar System aligns with the vision of the Chief of Air Marshal.Highlighting the significance of the anti-UAV radar system, he stated: “There is a dire need to master emerging warfare technologies, especially during ongoing counter-terrorism operations in Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad in the North-East. The importance of mastering both the theoretical and practical aspects of this training cannot be understated in the ongoing counter-terrorism and insurgency operations.”

He tasked the trainees on delivering an excellent outcome from the mission-critical endeavours to protect lives and property in the country. OPHK Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Umar Idris, described the training as a timely response to the increasing threats posed by enemy drones.

He said that the training would significantly enhance situational awareness and defensive postures of various commanders in the front lines of the forest and the Lake Chad region, adding: “The initiative underscores NAF’s broader strategy to maintain air superiority in protecting national assets against evolving airborne threats to the country.