By Lengnan Tobias
The Association of African Air Forces (AAAF) has commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) over the crash involving a NAF ATR aircraft on Oct 5.
This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, by the Public Affairs Officer, AAAF Permanent Secretariat, Sqn. Ldr. Olayinka Lawal.
The representative of Lt.-Gen. Jason Hinds, Co-Chairman of AAAF, Maj.-Gen. Melissa Coburn, conveyed the association’s condolences and solidarity to the NAF and assured the service of its support.
NAN reports that the condolence formed part of broader engagements during the Trilateral Leadership Review Conference involving the United States, Kenya and Nigeria, held between Oct. 13 and 16.
Coburn said the engagements commenced on Oct. 14 with a strategic meeting with the Eastern African Standby Force (EASF), followed by an assessment of facilities at Kisumu Airport and discussions with the airport’s civil operations team.
She explained that the engagements provided opportunity to assess operational facilities, strengthen institutional relationships and identify areas of cooperation relevant to regional preparedness and future multinational exercises.
“The trilateral engagements subsequently moved to Moi Air Base, where participating delegations reviewed areas of cooperation and advanced preparations for the Association of African Air Forces Exercise (AAAFEX) 2027, scheduled for February 2027,” she said.
Also speaking, the Commander of the Kenya Air Force, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Waliaula, welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the successful conduct of the exercise.
He commended the participating teams for their dedication and extended condolences to the Government and people of Nigeria over the aircraft accident.
During the conference, the AAAF Permanent Secretariat presented updates on the association’s activities, with emphasis on preparations for AAAFEX 2027.
Discussions focused on exercise objectives, participating stakeholders, areas of responsibility and the need to translate collective planning into practical operational outcomes.
The deliberations underscore the importance of sustained collaboration among African air forces and their international partners in strengthening interoperability, institutional relationships and collective readiness.
As part of efforts to broaden participation in AAAFEX 2027, the AAAF also held discussions with the EASF on potential areas of institutional involvement.
The EASF delegation, led by its Force Commander, Brig.-Gen. Stephen Huria, expressed commitment to contributing to the exercise and highlighted its potential to strengthen cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) across Africa.
He emphasised the value of joint learning, exchange of operational lessons and refinement of response plans to enhance effectiveness during real-world emergencies.
Also contributing, the Secretary General, Col. Kristin Cullinan, stressed the importance of ensuring that AAAFEX 2027 produced practical lessons that could be applied to real-world operations.
She advised that the exercise should go beyond training and provide actionable lessons for improving operational preparedness and response capabilities.
The conference also provided opportunity for bilateral engagements among participating countries, allowing delegates to explore shared priorities and strengthen relationships beyond the formal trilateral framework.
Overall, the engagements reinforced AAAF’s commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships, advancing regional airpower cooperation and enhancing multinational interoperability.
Meanwhile the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, represented by the AAAF Co-Secretary General, Group Capt. Olakunle Bankole, appreciated the gesture and assured that the message would be conveyed to the CAS and the entire NAF family.(NAN)
Edited by Deborah Coker
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