The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and his Egyptian counterpart, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Foaad Abd El-Gawad, met in Cairo, Egypt, on September 4, 2024.
The meeting focused on strengthening ties in pilot training and Research and Development (R&D), with both leaders acknowledging the rich history of training collaboration between their air forces. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has previously benefited from the training of around 50 pilots by the Egyptian Air Force (EAF).
The two chiefs explored opportunities for collaboration in R&D, particularly concerning NAF’s Alpha jets. The EAF will send a delegation to Nigeria to assess the Alpha jets and undertake an overhaul of the aircraft in conjunction with NAF engineers. The visiting team will also evaluate the possibility of conducting in-house tactical training for NAF pilots.During his visit, Air Marshal Abubakar attended the Egypt International Air Show at El-Alamein International Airport, where he held discussions with leading aircraft manufacturers and solution providers.
The NAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ariegsa, an Egyptian company, to construct simulators for each aircraft type in the NAF Order of Battle. The simulators will be built in Nigeria in collaboration with NAF engineers to facilitate knowledge transfer.