The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and his Egyptian counterpart, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Foaad Abd El-Gawad, have pledged to enhance cooperation and collaboration between their Air Forces, particularly in pilot training and Research and Development (R&D).
The commitment was made on 4 September 2024, when General El-Gawad hosted Air Marshal Abubakar at his office in Cairo, Egypt during the the Egypt International Air Show at El-Alamein International Airport.
According to a statement by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), AVM Edward Gabkwet, “both leaders acknowledged the rich history of training collaboration between their Air Forces, which they agreed should be further leveraged—especially by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), which has previously benefited from the training of around 50 pilots by the Egyptian Air Force (EAF).
“The two chiefs also explored opportunities for collaboration in R&D, particularly concerning NAF’s Alpha jets. It was agreed that the EAF would send a delegation to Nigeria to assess the Alpha jets, with the goal of undertaking an overhaul of the aircraft in conjunction with NAF engineers. The visiting team would also evaluate the possibility of conducting in-house tactical training for NAF pilots to enhance their proficiency.
During the visit, Air Marshal Abubakar also attended the Egypt International Air Show at El-Alamein International Airport. There, he held discussions with Aero Vodochody Aerospace, a Czech aircraft manufacturer of the L-39NG aircraft—one of the aircraft in NAF’s inventory—along with CATIC, the manufacturers of the Wing Loong Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, and Ariegsa, an Egyptian company known for providing tailored solutions for high-level needs and integrating defense and attack systems across diverse platforms.
For a long time, Egypt has possessed the requisite technical capacity to maintain, and fine-tune the Dassault Dornier Alpha Jets. At the Egypt International Airshow, the Egyptian company Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) received a supplier certificate from French world leading aircraft engine manufacturer Safran Aircraft Engines.
This certification follows the signing of a cooperation agreement in December 2023 for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the Larzac engine. With this certification, AOI becomes a globally authorized and licensed company to support the engines of the Alpha Jet training and light attack aircraft. This activity will be carried out in a brand new engine shop located in Helwan (Egypt) employing 30 skilled workers.
Since 2021, the Nigerian Air Force have been carrying out Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on the Alpha Jet fleet to further its sustained efforts to boost Air Power employment capability against insurgency and other security challenges.
Although, Sofema, a renowned French company that specializes in the reconditioning of military equipment, was previously awarded a contract to undertake a comprehensive study to develop a detailed plan for refurbishing and modernizing the French Alpha Jets specifically for the Nigerian Air Force. Sofema also won the contract to supply Martin Baker MK10 ejection seats in five NAF Alpha jets.
However, Nigeria is set to receive twenty-four M-346 Master aircraft from Italian aircraft maker Leonardo. The deal is reported to be worth an estimated €1.2 billion and will see the Italian jets replacing the aging Dassault Alpha jet A/E in use by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).