NAF holds air strike exercise in Benue

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Thursday carried out an air strike drill in Benue State.

During the event at the Kwernev Air Range in Makurdi, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of Tactical Air Command (TAC), AVM Patrick Obeya, reaffirmed the force’s dedication to maintaining peace across the nation.

Obeya explained that the operation, titled “Air-to-Ground Integration Exercise,” was organised by the NAF Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre, Abuja.

He noted that it formed part of the Advanced Air-to-Ground Integration Course 3/25, Joint Fires Observers Course 2/25, and the Annual Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) proficiency training.

According to the AOC, the exercise involved 86 participants drawn from the Army, Air Force, and Navy, emphasizing NAF’s commitment to professionalism, inter-service collaboration, and capacity development.

He said the drill demonstrated the Air Force’s readiness to remain combat-effective and strategically aligned with the nation’s security priorities.

Obeya added that the training strengthened the coordination between air and ground forces to achieve mission success.

“The exercise you will witness today is a live-firing demonstration designed to enhance the capacity of joint terminal attack controllers and joint fires observers.

These personnel serve as the vital link between air and ground forces during combat operations, ensuring that precision air strikes are effectively coordinated to achieve tactical and strategic objectives while minimising collateral damage.

Through realistic training such as this, we ensure that our aircrew, ground liaison elements, and supporting units operate with shared understanding, precision, and mutual trust,” he said.

The AOC praised the Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre for its continued efforts in developing effective doctrines and delivering top-tier training to NAF personnel.

He also expressed appreciation to Governor Hyacinth Alia for his steadfast leadership and for fostering a strong civil-military relationship within Benue State.

Earlier, AVM Michael Ekwueme, Commandant of the Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre, Abuja, said the goal of the exercise was to promote a unified operational front. He highlighted that it would help security agencies achieve greater success in combat while minimising errors and collateral damage.

Ekwueme added that the exercise ensures ground troops can identify and eliminate targets accurately and swiftly.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the highlight of the event was the impressive performance of participants who successfully neutralised their designated targets with precision and speed.