The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed two advanced Turkish Aerospace T129 Atak helicopters to its new base at Katsina’s Umar Musa Yaradua Airport.
Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar recently inspected the helicopters and assess their readiness for operations under Operation ‘Fansan Yamma’.
The deployment includes two T129 Atak helicopters, two Alpha Jets, and two King Air aircraft. Although unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reportedly deployed, they were not on display during the inspection.
The base, identified as the NAF’s 213 Forward Operating Base (FOB), previously supported Operation ‘Hadarin Daji’ but lacked stationed aircraft at the time.
Abubakar emphasized the importance of the deployment, stating, “One of the platforms is here, and we will bring some more as promised.”
He also revealed plans to establish an annex at Sokoto International Airport, located 267 km west of Katsina, to extend operational coverage.
Before the establishment of the Katsina FOB, the nearest NAF base capable of supporting aircraft was located in Kaduna, approximately 270 km south of Katsina and 355 km southeast of Sokoto International Airport. The new facilities aim to provide quicker response times and bolster Nigeria’s efforts to tackle insecurity in the northwest.
