Boeing 737-500 of the Nigerian Air Force
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Does all these commercial airplanes have the ruggedity and redundancies built into military aircrafts? in my humble opinion I think Naija will be better off getting another C-130 or any good Russian Antonio military aircraft. But this is a positive step. God bless Nigeria.
Correction: I meant to say the Antonov series not Antonio. My keyboard spelling check is over-zealous.
What the NAF need are pure military configured transport planes together with at least two of these B-737-500 aircrafts.
4 units An-124-100M-150 Heavylift,6 unit Il-76 an 6 unit An-70 both medium lift transport planes with higher carrying capacity than the over-priced C-130J aircraft.
Seconded oga gbash
The UN whose responsibility we are told it is to bring back troops from foreign PKOs, have used similar planes to bring back our troops from Darfur.
Let us not act like this plane fails to meet any requirement for TROOP TRANSPORT. It is another matter if the issue is transport of MILITARY CARGO such as armoured vehicles and artillery.
That said, I do not think that as the FG move to retool the revived and redesignated Air Mobility Command, it would be too much to spend US$150 million to add an Antonov 124 and an Antonov 70 for strategic cargo lifting operations to the NAF fleet. They carry MUCH MORE than the venerable C130.
Bearing in mind the NAF’s expected return of three C130s to service any moment now, if we are able to keep four C130/C130H-30 planes aloft and back those up with two AN 70/AN 124 for NAF strategic cargo lifting operations while deploying a C130 to the Presidential Fleet, I am sure that with a triad of Boeings we would be able to land a battalion with their equipment regionally at any time.
As for the six medium-range G222s, we could just consign those to internal operations – moving troops and security forces on rotation from the task forces in and out of the Northeast, the Niger Delta and the Jos Plateau and keeping them supplied there
Meanwhile, the Mi-171Sh Terminator assault helicopters would almost certainly be the babies of the 207 Special Mobility Group of the Air Mobility Command.
“Special Mobility” sounds like “special warfare+combat transport” operations.
seconded oga gbash. however, i m not completely sure we can buy and maintain the AN-124. its such a giant aircraft and maintaining 4 of these might just overwhelm stingy NAF.
utilization of the AN-124 its not a problem, because we will always have access to them via eastern airline firms for use when needed. Air Mobility Command could do with the Y-9 which is a Chinese copy of the AN-12 which too, is similar to the C-130 Hercules. its affordable, easy to maintain, and no political interference with regards to parts and supply. add the CASA 235s and the CN-295s and we have a viable AMC.
the NAFHC can get more boeings and embraer aircraft for its fleet.
Well done Nigerian Airforce and more grease to your elbows.
Gentlemen – again sorry to go off on a tangent – but the most recent edition of Airforces monthly magazine (May 2013) has a very good article on the upgraded Jaguar Jets of the Indian Airforce. The upgrade was done incountry by thier aeronautics company HAL. These jets are being used in a Ground Attack role.
This article simply re-inforced my belief that the NAF SHOULD NOT DISPOSE/SELL ITS JAGUAR JET FLEET, but should get them refurbished and upgraded in India and then return them to frontline service as ground attack jets. This should however be done WITHOUT PREJUDICE to the need for the NAF as a matter of priority to acquire AIR SUPERIORITY JETS like the Sukhoi -30 MK2 or the SU-27.
Another magazine AIR International (May 2013) edition has brief but nice writeup (on NAF air detachment to the Mali operations) with a lovely photograph of an NAF Alpha Jet in millitary camoflague colours on the runway at Niamey Airport. Kudos to our NAF and all our men and women in unifiorm!!