Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force was created by Act of Parliament in 1964 with West German help, was handed Soviet MiG-17s and Egyptian-flown Il-28s within three years to fight the Biafran war, became one of Africa’s largest air arms on oil money and then let most of it rot, and has spent the years since 2013 rebuilding around Super Tucanos, JF-17s and attack helicopters for a counter-insurgency war in which its own strikes have repeatedly killed civilians.
The Nigerian Air Force story: West German help in 1963, Egyptian-flown MiGs over Biafra and a counter-insurgency rebuild
1961–1967: an air force borrowed from abroad
The air force began as an embarrassment. When Nigerian troops went to the Congo and Tanganyika in the early 1960s, foreign air forces had to fly them there, and the air force’s own history dates the idea of a national air arm to 1961. Recruiting began in June 1962; the first ten cadets learned to fly in Ethiopia, 16 went to Canada in February 1963 and six to India. West Germany supplied the technical help from 1963, and a German officer, Colonel Gerhard Kahtz, led the service from 5 May 1963. Parliament passed the Air Force Act in 1964, and Wikipedia dates the formal establishment to 18 April 1964. The first equipment was for transport and training, not combat: an IISS count of 1971 still lists 20 Dornier Do 27 and Do 28 liaison aircraft and ten Piaggio P.149D trainers.
1967–1970: MiGs, Egyptian crews and the Biafran war
The civil war that began on 6 July 1967 turned a transport arm into a combat force overnight. The Lieutenant Colonel then in command, George Kurubo, left in August 1967, and Colonel Shittu Alao took over. After Biafran aircraft raided federal targets, the Soviet Union began delivering MiG-17s through Egypt to Kano from 13 August 1967, with MiG-15UTI trainers and six Il-28 bombers stationed at Calabar and Port Harcourt. How many MiG-17s came is disputed: Wikipedia’s civil war article cites an offer of a squadron of 17, its air force article eight. The jets were flown at first by Egyptian and, on the bombers, Czech crews. Bombing of markets, schools and hospitals in Biafra helped turn foreign opinion against Lagos, and by the spring of 1969 the Egyptians had been replaced by European contract pilots, according to sources cited by Wikipedia. Nigerian aircraft also hunted the night relief airlift into Uli; a Red Cross DC-7 was shot down on 5 June 1969.
1970–1991: oil money, MiG-21s and Jaguars
Peace and oil revenue bought a real air force. Six C-130 Hercules arrived in the 1970s; 24 MiG-21MF and six MiG-21UM came in 1975, with a further contract for 12 MiG-21bis signed in October 1984. A Tactical Air Command and a Training Command were formed in 1978. In 1983 Nigeria ordered 18 SEPECAT Jaguars, 13 single-seat SN and five two-seat BN, which flew from Makurdi from 1984; 24 Alpha Jets, 12 MB-339AN trainers and 24 L-39 Albatros followed in the 1980s. It did not last. The Jaguars were withdrawn in 1991 as an economy measure and never sold, the MiG-21s were mothballed during the 1990s, and the MB-339s went into storage. defenceWeb sums up the following years as “decades of neglect, which saw much of the force grounded.”
1990–2000: Alpha Jets over Monrovia and Freetown
The Alpha Jet gave the grounded air force its best decade of combat. When the West African force ECOMOG went into Liberia in 1990, roughly 7,000 of its 11,000 troops and most of the money were Nigerian, and so were the jets. Four Alpha Jets struck Charles Taylor’s headquarters, convoys, shipping and gun positions in 1990; in 1992 six, under direct ECOMOG command, flew about 3,000 combat missions against Taylor’s NPFL without loss, according to Wikipedia. In Sierra Leone from 1997 Nigerian jets again supported ECOMOG against the junta and the RUF. That campaign had a darker side: Human Rights Watch documented ECOMOG jets bombing a column of civilians used as human shields in Freetown in January 1999, and an ECOMOG commander’s response that troops had orders to “kill everything” if it happened again.
2013–2026: the counter-insurgency rebuild
The war against Boko Haram, and from 2016 against its offshoot ISWAP, rebuilt the force. Twelve Chengdu F-7NI and three FT-7NI fighters, paid for in 2005 and delivered in 2009–2010, replaced the MiG-21s; 13 of the 24 original Alpha Jets were made serviceable again from 2013, and spares and airframes were bought from the United States and later France. Three Pakistani JF-17 Thunders were inducted at Makurdi on 20 May 2021 and 12 A-29 Super Tucanos arrived from the United States by October 2021, after a sale that had stalled for years in Washington. Mi-35M and T129 attack helicopters, Chinese armed drones and Diamond DA62 surveillance aircraft followed. The air force is also fighting armed gangs, called bandits in Nigeria, in the north-west, where an Alpha Jet was shot down on 18 July 2021.
Civilian harm, contested numbers and what is still missing
The price has been paid partly by civilians. On 17 January 2017 an air force aircraft bombed the displaced persons’ camp at Rann during an aid distribution: MSF counted about 90 dead and said the toll might reach 170; the ISS later cited 112 killed. A military inquiry blamed the lack of markings on the camp. ISS, SBM Intelligence and Nigerian media have since listed many more mistaken strikes, and an Army drone strike at Tudun Biri in December 2023 caused 120 casualties, the ISS reported. The air force says civilian harm mitigation is now embedded in its doctrine. Meanwhile it is waiting for 24 M-346FA light fighters, the first three accepted in Italy in July 2026, 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters and C295 transports; on 7 December 2025 its jets struck coup plotters in neighbouring Benin.
The Nigerian Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Nigerian Air ForceEnglish is Nigeria’s official language and the only form the service uses on airforce.mil.ng; abbreviated NAF
- Founded
- 18 April 1964Established under the Air Force Act 1964 per Wikipedia; the air force’s own history gives only the year of the Act. German Wikipedia says January 1964, and the first commander was in post from 5 May 1963
- Part of
- Armed Forces of NigeriaOne of three services with the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy; Commander-in-Chief President Bola Tinubu
- Headquarters
- AbujaAir Headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory
- Chief of the Air Staff
- Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke23rd holder of the post, appointed October 2025
- Motto
- Willing, Able, ReadyAs given by Wikipedia; “Willing” is displayed on the official website
Strength
- Personnel
- 15,000–18,000defenceWeb’s 2025 profile gives 15,000 of 135,000 in the armed forces; The Conversation (2025) and Wikipedia give 18,000. The IISS counted 7,000 in 1971
- Combat aircraft
-
- A-29 Super Tucano — 12
- Alpha Jet — 12
- F-7NI/FT-7NI — about 9–11
- JF-17 Thunder — 3
FlightGlobal counts; F-7 range because defenceWeb’s loss tally leaves fewer than FlightGlobal lists. 24 M-346FA on order
- Attack helicopters
-
- Mi-24/Mi-35 — 15–26
- TAI T129 ATAK — 6
FlightGlobal 15 Mi-24/35, defenceWeb profile 26; 12 AH-1Z on order
- Other helicopters
-
- AW109 — 17 or more
- Mi-17/171 — 6
- H215M/AS332 Super Puma — 5
- H135 — 3
- AW139 — 2
- Bell 412 — 2
- H125 — 2
FlightGlobal October 2025, plus deliveries reported to September 2026
- Trainers
-
- L-39 Albatros — 11
- PAC MFI-395 Super Mushshak — 8–10
- MB-339AN — 6
- Mi-34 — 1
FlightGlobal; defenceWeb lists eight Mushshaks
- Transport and surveillance
-
- C-130H — 2–4
- Dornier 228 — 8
- King Air 350/360 — 5
- Diamond DA62 — 4
- ATR 42 MPA — 2
FlightGlobal and defenceWeb; two or three C295 on order
- Armed drones
-
- Wing Loong II — 2–3
- CH-4 — 4
- CH-3 — 2
defenceWeb counts; numbers in service unconfirmed
- Defence budget
- N1,647.9 billion (2024)About US$1.10 billion or 0.70 per cent of GDP for all the armed forces, per defenceWeb
Infrastructure
- Commands
-
- Tactical Air Command — Makurdi
- Special Operations Command — Bauchi
- Mobility Command — Yenagoa
- Air Training Command — Kaduna
- Ground Training Command — Enugu
- Logistics Command — Lagos
Six commands per the air force’s own history page; Wikipedia still lists five
- Fighter base
- MakurdiHome of Tactical Air Command; JF-17s inducted there in 2021 and T129s in 2024; the Jaguars flew from it 1984–1991
- Flying training
- Kaduna and Kano401 and 403 Flying Training Schools per Wikipedia; helicopter school at Enugu
- Maintenance
- Ikeja, LagosLogistics Command depots; C-130s have been overhauled locally
- Air bases
- 20 or moreWikipedia’s count of bases and stations; see the stations list for each
How the Nigerian Air Force is organised
One of the three services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, run from Air Headquarters in Abuja through six commands: Tactical Air Command at Makurdi, Special Operations Command at Bauchi, Mobility Command at Yenagoa, Air Training Command at Kaduna, Ground Training Command at Enugu and Logistics Command at Lagos. The front line is small and mixed: three JF-17 Thunders, about nine to eleven F-7NIs, 12 A-29 Super Tucanos and about 12 Alpha Jets, beside Mi-24/35 and T129 attack helicopters, with 24 M-346FA light fighters on order. The air force does not publish which group flies its JF-17s and F-7NIs, and Wikipedia still lists five commands rather than six.
Air Headquarters
One of the three services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, with the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy, under the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Tinubu. Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke was named the 23rd Chief of the Air Staff in October 2025, succeeding Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar; Wikipedia dates the change to 30 October 2025. The air force’s own history lists six commands under Air Headquarters, while Wikipedia still lists five.
Tactical Air Command
The command that, in Wikipedia’s words, interprets, implements and controls the air force’s operational plans. Its base is the fighter base: three JF-17 Thunders inducted on 20 May 2021 and the F-7NI fleet, whose operating units are not published. Wikipedia lists 101 Air Defence Group at Makurdi, 103 Strike Group at Yola and 105 Composite Group at Maiduguri, and defenceWeb reported in 2024 that 115 Special Operations Group at Port Harcourt would fly the T129 attack helicopters.
Special Operations Command
Headquartered at Bauchi according to the air force’s own history, with 201 Composite Group there per Wikipedia. Its 207 Quick Response Group is at Gusau in the north-west, where the Chief of the Air Staff said in November 2020 that four of the service’s eight new armed drones would be based; whether they arrived is not confirmed in the sources checked.
Air Training Command
Headquartered at Kaduna, where 401 Flying Training School received the first five of ten Super Mushshak primary trainers on 8 August 2017. 403 Flying Training School flies the L-39ZA at Kano. Wikipedia lists 407 Air Combat Training Group at Kainji, where German Wikipedia places the 12 A-29 Super Tucanos; that the group flies them is inferred, not stated.
Mobility Command
Headquartered at Yenagoa according to the air force’s own history. Wikipedia lists its airlift groups as 301 Heavy Airlift Group at Ikeja, 303 Medium Airlift Group at Ilorin, 305 Special Mobility Group at Calabar and 307 Executive Airlift Group at Minna; the two to four C-130H Hercules in service are maintained at Ikeja, but which group flies them is not stated.
Ground Training Command
Headquartered at Enugu, where Wikipedia places 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group and the International Helicopter Flying School at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, with 541 Communications Group and 553 Base Services Group.
Logistics Command
Headquartered at Ikeja, Lagos, with 401 Aircraft Maintenance Depot inside Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where C-130Hs have been overhauled. Wikipedia places its 405 Central Armament Depot at Makurdi, and defenceWeb names Kainji as the site of Alpha Jet depot maintenance.
What the Nigerian Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAC/CAC JF-17 Thunder Block IIIn service | Multirole fighter | 3 | 2021 | Three bought; FlightGlobal lists three. | ||
| Chengdu F-7NI and FT-7NIIn service | Fighter | 2009 | About 9–11. 15 delivered plus one FT-7NI donated by Chengdu; defenceWeb counts seven lost by July 2023, which leaves nine; FlightGlobal lists 11. | |||
| Embraer A-29 Super TucanoIn service | Light attack aircraft | 12 | 2021 | 12 delivered by October 2021; FlightGlobal lists 12. | ||
| Dassault/Dornier Alpha JetIn service | Light attack and advanced trainer | 12 | FlightGlobal lists 12.
MoreOf 24 originals, about eight remained in December 2024 after 15 losses; five ex-US airframes came in 2015 (one crashed) and 12 ex-French in 2024, six of them for spares. |
|||
| Aero L-39ZA AlbatrosIn service | Advanced jet trainer and light attack | 11 | 1986 | 24 bought 1986–87; FlightGlobal lists 11. | ||
| Aermacchi MB-339ANIn service | Jet trainer | 6 | 1984 | 12 built from June 1984; Wikipedia (citing Jane’s 2003–04) lists them as stored, FlightGlobal counts six active. | ||
| PAC MFI-395 Super MushshakIn service | Primary trainer | 10 | FlightGlobal 10; defenceWeb profile 8 (as MFI-17 Mushshak). | |||
| Mil Mi-24V/P and Mi-35/Mi-35MIn service | Attack helicopter | 15–26: FlightGlobal 15, defenceWeb profile 26 across all variants. | ||||
| TAI T129 ATAKIn service | Attack helicopter | 6 | 2023 | Six received by August 2026. One February 2024 report spoke of 12 on order; later reports give six. | ||
| Leonardo AW109 (incl. AW109 Trekker)In service | Light utility and armed helicopter | 2010 | FlightGlobal 17 in October 2025 with 10 Trekkers on order; three Trekkers received in September 2026, seven more due by the end of 2026. | |||
| Mil Mi-17/Mi-171In service | Transport helicopter | 6 | FlightGlobal six. | |||
| Airbus H215M / AS332 Super PumaIn service | Transport helicopter | 5 | FlightGlobal five. | |||
| Airbus H135 / EC135In service | Light helicopter | 3 | FlightGlobal three. | |||
| Airbus H125In service | Light helicopter | 2 | Two received before September 2026. | |||
| Leonardo AW139In service | Medium helicopter | 2 | FlightGlobal two; defenceWeb one. | |||
| Bell 412In service | Utility helicopter | 2 | Two inducted 2015–2021. | |||
| Mil Mi-34In service | Training helicopter | 1 | FlightGlobal one. | |||
| Lockheed C-130H / C-130H-30 HerculesIn service | Tactical transport | 2–4 in service: FlightGlobal 2, defenceWeb 4. Six bought in the 1970s. | ||||
| Dornier Do 228In service | Light transport and maritime patrol | 8 | FlightGlobal: six transports and two maritime patrol. | |||
| ATR 42 MPAIn service | Maritime patrol | 2 | 2010 | FlightGlobal two. | ||
| Diamond DA62 MPP and DA42In service | Surveillance aircraft | 5 | Four DA62 (last delivered October 2023) and one DA42. | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 350 and 360ERIn service | Surveillance and light transport | 5 | FlightGlobal: two King Air 350 (reconnaissance) and three King Air 360. | |||
| Presidential and VIP jets (Airbus A330, Gulfstream G550 and IV, Dassault Falcon 7X, Cessna Citation)In service | VIP transport | defenceWeb lists one A330, one G550, one G-IV and two Falcon 7X; FlightGlobal a Citation Sovereign and a CJ3. | ||||
| CAIG Wing Loong IIIn service | Armed drone | 2–3: three reported delivered by July 2024; defenceWeb’s profile lists two. | ||||
| CASC CH-4 and CH-3In service | Armed drone | 2014 | defenceWeb profile: four CH-4 and two CH-3. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo M-346FAOn order | 24 | 2026 | Ordered as 12 plus 12 options in 2021 (Wikipedia) or as 24 in 2023 (defenceWeb), for about EUR1.2 billion, in four tranches of six.
MoreThe first three passed factory acceptance at Venegono between 29 June and 9 July 2026 with delivery expected in December 2026. FlightGlobal and defenceWeb’s profile already list them as in service; that is not borne out by the 2026 reports. |
|
| Bell AH-1Z ViperOn order | 12 | defenceWeb reported in December 2024 that a contract had been awarded; still listed as a future acquisition in August 2026. | ||
| Leonardo AW109 TrekkerOn order | 7 | 2026 | Seven still to come of ten ordered; three received in September 2026. | |
| Airbus C295On order | Two in the June 2024 list; three in the August 2026 report. |
Every type the Nigerian Air Force has retired
10 types, from the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 to the SEPECAT Jaguar SN and BN. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEPECAT Jaguar SN and BN | Strike fighter | 18 | 1984–1991 | 13 single-seat SN and 5 two-seat BN. | ||
| Aero L-29 Delfín | Jet trainer | 8 | L-39ZA | Eight in 1971 (IISS); Wikipedia lists them among the aircraft supplied during the civil war. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 | Fighter and ground attack | 1967– | MiG-21MF | 8–17: the IISS counted eight in 1971; Wikipedia’s civil war article cites a Soviet offer of a squadron of 17. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI | Jet trainer | 2 | 1967– | Two per Wikipedia. | ||
| Ilyushin Il-28 | Bomber | 6 | 1967– | Six. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21MF, UM and bis | Fighter | 1975– | F-7NI | 24–25 MiG-21MF and 6 MiG-21UM from 1975; a contract for 12 MiG-21bis and 2 UM followed in October 1984. | ||
| Piaggio P.149D | Primary trainer | 10 | Ten in 1971 (IISS). | |||
| Dornier Do 27 and Do 28 | Liaison and light transport | 20 | 20 in 1971 (IISS). | |||
| Douglas C-47 | Transport | 6 | Six in 1971 (IISS). | |||
| Westland Whirlwind and Sud Alouette II | Helicopters | 8 | Eight together in 1971 (IISS). |
Where the Nigerian Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; none of the airfields listed has closed. Makurdi in Benue State has been the front-line jet base for four decades, home of the Jaguars from 1984 to 1991 and of the JF-17s since 2021, while Maiduguri and Gusau are the bases for the wars in the north-east and the north-west. Several bases share international airports, among them Kano, Ikeja and Enugu. Coordinates are from English Wikipedia because the Nigerian AIP could not be reached; Kaduna, Kainji, Gusau, Ilorin and Bauchi have no published aerodrome data and carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAF Base BauchiBauchi State | Active |
|
||
| NAF Base CalabarCross River State | DNCA | Active | 03/212,450 m |
|
| NAF Base EnuguEnugu State | DNEN | Active | 08/263,000 m |
|
| NAF Base IkejaLagos State | DNMM | Active | 18R/36L3,900 m18L/36R2,743 m |
|
| NAF Base IlorinKwara State | DNIL | Active |
|
|
| NAF Base KadunaKaduna State | Active |
|
||
| NAF Base KainjiNiger State | Active |
|
||
| NAF Base KanoKano State | DNKN | Active | 05/232,451 m06/243,301 m |
|
| NAF Base MaiduguriBorno State | DNMA | Active | 05/233,000 m |
|
| NAF Base MakurdiBenue State | DNMK | Active | 05/233,000 mconcrete |
|
| NAF Base MinnaNiger State | DNMN | Active | 05/233,400 m |
|
| NAF Base Port HarcourtRivers State | DNPM | Active | 04/222,110 m |
|
| NAF Base YolaAdamawa State | DNYO | Active | 17/353,000 m |
|
| NAF GusauZamfara State | Active |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Nigerian Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. Nigerian units are numbered groups and schools, among them 103 Strike Group at Yola, 115 Special Operations Group at Port Harcourt, four airlift groups numbered 301 to 307 under Mobility Command and 401 and 403 Flying Training Schools at Kaduna and Kano. The JF-17s and F-7NIs at Makurdi are listed as fleets because their operating units are not published. The Jaguar squadron and the MiG-17 and Il-28 deployments of the civil war are listed as former units. Where a type is tied to a group by inference rather than by a source, the entry says so.
- Headquarters Tactical Air CommandOperational command headquarters · active
- JF-17 Thunder fleetFighter aircraft · active
- JF-17 Thunder Block II
- F-7NI fleetFighter aircraft · active
- Chengdu F-7NI / FT-7NI
- 131 Engineering GroupEngineering group · active
- 101 Air Defence GroupAir defence group · active
- 33 Logistics GroupLogistics group · active
- 405 Central Armament DepotArmament depot · active
- 151 Base Services GroupBase services group · active
- Jaguar squadron1984–1991
- SEPECAT Jaguar SN and BN
- Headquarters Air Training CommandTraining command headquarters · active
- 401 Flying Training SchoolFlying training school · active
- PAC MFI-395 Super Mushshak
- Air Force Institute of TechnologyTechnical institute · active
- 325 Ground Training CentreGround training · active
- Air Traffic Services Training CentreAir traffic training · active
- 407 Air Combat Training GroupCombat training group · active
- Embraer A-29 Super Tucano
- Alpha Jet depot maintenanceMaintenance · active
- Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
- 403 Flying Training SchoolFlying training school · active
- Aero L-39ZA Albatros
- MiG-17 deliveries (Nigerian Civil War)1967–
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
- Headquarters Logistics CommandCommand headquarters · active
- 401 Aircraft Maintenance DepotMaintenance depot · active
- 301 Heavy Airlift Group (221 Airlift Wing, 205 Rotary Wing)Airlift group · active
- Lockheed C-130H Hercules
- 105 Composite GroupComposite group · active
- Armed UAV detachment (planned 2020)UAV detachment · active
- CH-3A (probable)
- 103 Strike GroupStrike group · active
- 115 Special Operations GroupSpecial operations group · active
- TAI T129 ATAK
- Il-28 bomber detachment (civil war)1967–1970
- Ilyushin Il-28
- Headquarters Ground Training CommandCommand headquarters · active
- 405 Helicopter Combat Training GroupHelicopter training group · active
- International Helicopter Flying SchoolHelicopter flying school · active
- 307 Executive Airlift GroupExecutive airlift group · active
- 305 Special Mobility GroupMobility group · active
- Il-28 bomber detachment (civil war)1967–1970
- Ilyushin Il-28
- 207 Quick Response GroupQuick response group · active
- Armed UAV detachmentUAV detachment · active
- CH-3A (probable)
- 303 Medium Airlift Group (227 Airlift Wing)Airlift group · active
- Headquarters Special Operations CommandCommand headquarters · active
- 201 Composite GroupComposite group · active
No unit matches that search.
Nigerian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
June: recruiting begins; the first ten cadets go to Ethiopia for pilot training, 16 to Canada in February 1963 and six to India.
5 May: Colonel Gerhard Kahtz of the German Air Force Assistance Group takes command; West German technical help begins.
The Air Force Act passes; Wikipedia dates the establishment to 18 April 1964.
6 July: civil war begins. 13 August: first Soviet MiG-17s arrive at Kano via Egypt; Il-28 bombers follow.
5 June: a Red Cross DC-7 on the Biafran relief airlift is shot down by Nigerian forces.
15 January: the war ends with the surrender of Biafra.
24 MiG-21MF and six MiG-21UM delivered.
Tactical Air Command and Training Command formed.
First of 18 Jaguars delivered to Makurdi; 12 MB-339AN built for Nigeria from June.
Alpha Jets deploy with ECOMOG to Liberia and strike NPFL targets.
The Jaguars are withdrawn as an economy measure.
January: ECOMOG jets bomb civilians used as human shields in Freetown, Human Rights Watch reports.
First F-7NI fighters delivered from China to replace the long-grounded MiG-21s.
17 January: the Rann camp bombing. 19 January: air support for the ECOWAS intervention in the Gambia.
20 May: three JF-17s inducted at Makurdi. 18 July: an Alpha Jet is shot down by gunmen. By October: all 12 A-29s delivered.
6 February: first T129s inducted. August: A-29 fleet passes 10,000 hours. December: 12 ex-French Alpha Jets bought.
October: Air Marshal Sunday Aneke becomes Chief of the Air Staff. 7 December: Nigerian jets strike coup plotters in Benin.
July: first three M-346FA pass factory acceptance in Italy. 15 September: three AW109 Trekkers and two H125s received.
Every war the Nigerian Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The Nigerian Civil War 1967–1970 Bombed and strafed Biafran forces and towns, attacked the Uli airstrip and the relief airlift, and supported the federal ground offensives
- ECOMOG in Liberia 1990–1998 Close air support, interdiction and anti-shipping strikes against Charles Taylor’s NPFL for the ECOWAS force; airlift
- ECOMOG in Sierra Leone 1997–2000 Air strikes for the Nigerian-led ECOMOG force against the AFRC junta and the RUF, including the defence of Freetown in January 1999
- Counter-insurgency in the north-east 2013– Air strikes, close air support, surveillance and airlift against Boko Haram (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province
- Operations against armed gangs in the north-west and north-central states 2021– Air strikes and surveillance against armed criminal gangs (“bandits”) and, from 2024, the Lakurawa group
Nigerian Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Nigerian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Nigerian Air Force
What is the Nigerian Air Force called officially?
When was the Nigerian Air Force founded?
Which fighter jets does the Nigerian Air Force fly?
Did the Nigerian Air Force fly MiGs?
Did Nigeria ever fly the Jaguar?
What did the Nigerian Air Force do in Liberia and Sierra Leone?
What happened at Rann in 2017?
Was the Tudun Biri strike carried out by the air force?
Did Nigerian jets intervene in Benin in 2025?
Who commands the Nigerian Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Nigerian Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Nigerian Air Force: official websiteOfficial name and spelling “Nigerian Air Force”; links to history, leadership and news.
- Nigerian Air Force: HistoryIdea born in 1961 after foreign air forces airlifted Nigerian troops for the Congo and Tanganyika; Act of Parliament 1964; recruiting from June 1962; cadets trained in Ethiopia, Canada and India; German technical assistance from 1963; MiG-15 and MiG-17 acquired in the civil war; expansion 1981–1990; Decree 105 of 23 August 1994; six commands; F-7NI, ATR 42 MPA and Agusta helicopters around 2010; peacekeeping in Lebanon (1978–82), Chad (1983), Yugoslavia, Somalia, Rwanda, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
- Nigerian Air Force: LeadershipChief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, born 20 February 1972 in Makurdi; branch chiefs and air officers commanding.
- Nigerian Air Force press release: NAF receives five new helicopters as FG accelerates airpower modernisation (15 September 2026)Three AW109 Trekker (part of an order for ten, seven more due by the end of 2026) and two H125 received in Lagos; quote from the Chief of the Air Staff.
- Nigerian Air Force: NAF, Amnesty International strengthen engagement on civilian protection (September 2026)AVM Edward Gabkwet: civilian harm mitigation “is embedded in NAF doctrine and incorporated into the planning and conduct of air operations”.
- FlightGlobal: World Air Forces directory (data drawn 1 October 2025)Nigeria: Alpha Jet 12, A-29 12, F-7 11, JF-17 3, M-346FA 24 (listed; not yet delivered per defenceWeb 2026), ATR 42 MPA 2, Citation CJ3 1, DA42 1, DA62 4, Do 228 MPA 2 and transport 6, King Air 350 2, King Air 360 3, C-130H 2, Citation Sovereign 1, AH-1Z 12 (listed; on order), AW109 17 (+10), AW139 2, Bell 412 2, H135 3, H215M/AS332 5, Mi-17/171 6, Mi-24/35 15, T129 6, L-39 11, MB-339 6, MFI-395 10, Mi-34 1. Column layout of the summary could not be checked line by line.
- defenceWeb: African Military Profile: Nigeria (Armand Liebenberg, 5 December 2025, updated 28 May 2026)Armed forces 135,000 of which air force 15,000; 2024 defence budget N1,647.9 billion (about US$1.10 billion, 0.70 per cent of GDP); air force inventory incl. Mi-24/35 26, T129 2 (+4), C-130 4, CH-3 2, CH-4 4, Wing Loong II 2; command structure; “decades of neglect, which saw much of the force grounded”.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force acquires ex-French Alpha Jets (Guy Martin, 9 December 2024)12 ex-French Alpha Jets (six to fly, six for spares); of 24 originals about eight remain, 15 lost in combat or accidents; five ex-US airframes 2015, one crashed; AH-1Z contract; first six M-346FA expected end 2024; training figures for 2024.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force completes factory acceptance testing for first M-346FA jets (3 August 2026)First three M-346FA accepted at Venegono 29 June to 9 July 2026, delivery expected December 2026; 24 ordered in 2023 for about EUR1.2 billion in four tranches of six; six T129, three King Air and four DA62 received; AW109 Trekker status; C295 and AH-1Z still to come.
- defenceWeb: Nigeria’s Defence Minister visits Italy to oversee production of helicopters and jets (3 November 2025)Visit of 17 October 2025; six M-346FA in advanced production; ten AW109 Trekker; Hasan Abubakar succeeded by Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as 23rd Chief of the Air Staff.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force confirms 50 new aircraft are on the way (9 July 2024)CAS on 18 June 2024: 12 AH-1Z, 24 M-346, 12 AW109, 2 C295; earlier orders for 6 T129, 4 DA62, 2 King Air 360, 3 Wing Loong II; last DA62 delivered October 2023.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force inducts T-129 attack helicopters into service (7 February 2024)Two T129 (NAF 500, 501) and a King Air 360ER (NAF 205) inducted at Makurdi on 6 February 2024 by Vice President Kashim Shettima; article gives 12 T129 on order; plan for 46 aircraft in 18 months.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force mark 57th anniversary with induction of JF-17 fighters (26 May 2021)Three JF-17 inducted at Makurdi on 20 May 2021; 23 aircraft inducted 2015–2021 (10 Super Mushshak, 5 Mi-35M, 4 AW109, 2 Mi-17E, 2 Bell 412, Yabhon Flash-20 UAVs); eight Chinese UAVs ordered.
- defenceWeb: 10 000 flight hours milestone for Nigerian Super Tucanos (August 2024)10,000 hours in about three years, over 8,500 in operational sorties, “without any major incident”.
- The Conversation via defenceWeb: West Africa is the world’s new epicentre for terrorism – Nigeria is expanding its air force in response (Oyewole, Okpaleke and Ojewale, 6 August 2025)18,000 personnel and 61 combat-capable aircraft in 2024; A-29s at US$496 million; US$618 million loan approved October 2024; criticism over accidental strikes.
- defenceWeb: Another Nigerian F-7Ni lost in a crash (17 July 2023)FT-7NI lost at Makurdi on 14 July 2023, both pilots ejected; earlier losses 2011 (two), 2012, 2015 and a 2018 mid-air collision (two aircraft, one pilot killed); 12 F-7NI and 3 FT-7NI delivered 2009–2010; a further FT-7NI donated by Chengdu.
- defenceWeb (Reuters): Bandit fire brings down Nigeria air force jet, pilot survives (20 July 2021)Alpha Jet lost on 18 July 2021 on the Zamfara–Kaduna border; pilot Abayomi Dairo ejected; NAF: “came under intense enemy fire which led to its crash”; Reuters could not verify.
- defenceWeb (Reuters): Nigerian refugee camp air strike death toll rises (23 January 2017)MSF: around 90 dead, possibly up to 170 according to residents and community leaders; aircraft circled twice and dropped two bombs during an aid distribution; NAF called it accidental.
- defenceWeb (Reuters): Nigerian refugee camp hit by air strike was not marked on maps – military (21 July 2017)Military inquiry: “The main reason that caused the unfortunate air strike near the IDP camp at Rann, was lack of appropriate marking of the area.”
- ISS Africa via defenceWeb: Nigeria’s military mistakes cost the country its civilians (13 December 2023)Tudun Biri, 5 December 2023, Nigerian Army drone, 120 casualties reported; Rann 112 killed and 97 injured; other NAF strikes 2020–2022; Punch tally of over 425 killed by accidental bombings 2017–2023.
- defenceWeb: Weekend Benin coup attempt fails; ECOWAS deploys troops (8 December 2025)Nigerian Air Force aircraft struck in Benin on 7 December 2025; statements by President Tinubu and Benin’s interior minister.
- Human Rights Watch: Sierra Leone: Getting Away with Murder, Mutilation, Rape (July 1999), section on ECOMOG abusesECOMOG jets bombed a column of civilians used as human shields in Freetown in January 1999; ECOMOG commander’s response.
- Nigerian Air Force: Better Homes, Stronger Force: NAF commissions 30-flat residential facility in Makurdi (September 2026)Facility for married NCOs at NAF Base Makurdi commissioned 18 September 2026.
- Nigerian Air Force: ATSTC Kaduna inaugurates cabin crew course (17 September 2026)Air Traffic Services Training Centre, Kaduna; Commandant AVM NB Folaji.
- defenceWeb: First Nigerian JF-17 Thunder arrives home (26 March 2021)PAF Il-76 R09-001 unloaded a JF-17 fuselage on 21 March 2021, hangar believed at Makurdi; serials NAF-720 to 722.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force receives additional Mi-35Ms (3 May 2018)Two Mi-35M arrived at NAF Base Makurdi on 30 April 2018 by An-124-100; four of twelve delivered.
- defenceWeb: Aero Vodochody helping Nigerian Air Force reactivate L-39 jets (7 December 2020)Two L-39ZA handed over at 403 FTS Kano on 4 December 2020; F-7NI reactivation at Makurdi; Alpha Jet depot maintenance at Kainji; C-130H maintenance at Ikeja.
- defenceWeb: Mbambo strengthens ties with the Nigerian Air Force (30 October 2025)Visit to Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Makurdi, 28 October 2025; display at 131 Engineering Group.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force reveals armed UAV bases (10 November 2020, updated 19 May 2022)Eight armed UAVs: four at Gusau, two at Gombe (new 203 Combat Reconnaissance Group), two at Maiduguri; announced by CAS Sadique Abubakar at Gusau on 5 November 2020.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force inducts Super Mushshak trainers (11 August 2017)Five Super Mushshak inducted at Kaduna on 8 August 2017 for 401 FTS; NDA cadets graduated before commissioning for the first time in over 30 years; BMATT assistance; Air Force Research and Development Centre.
- defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force wings more pilots as it prepares to receive Super Tucanos (19 July 2021)12 students in basic fighter training at 403 FTS Kano; 10 in basic transport training at 401 FTS Kaduna.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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