The Chief of Air the Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has stated that changes in the character of warfare must be embraced by members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria if, “we are to sustain the successes being achieved in the various theatres of operation.”
Quoting the renowned air power theorist, General Guilio Douhet, the CAS said, “We must embrace changes in the character of warfare because in the words of Guilio Douhet, ‘Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the change occurs’.” Air Marshal Abubakar stated this earlier on December 18, 2023, during the virtual Operations Briefing by the various Air Component Commanders and Air Officers Commanding.
According to the CAS, “despite the operational challenges we face, we are making good progress. We must, however, be aware that as we progress, the enemy will also try to adapt to evade our strategy. So, in keeping them on their toes, we must continue to think ahead and anticipate their next move.”
Air Marshal Abubakar also spoke on the need for all operational commanders to continually foster a culture of discipline, integrity and remain ever vigilant in the face of emerging threats. According to him, “Our commitment to the defence of our nation remains steadfast and we will continue to protect our country, deter potential adversaries and ensure the safety of lives and properties of our citizenry. While commending them for the numerous successes recorded across all the theatres of operation leading to the elimination of key terrorists’ figures especially in the preceding week, Air Marshal Abubakar called on them to sustain the momentum and leave no room for errors.
Air operations across the various theatres have witnessed commendable level of successes with key terrorist kingpins among those neutralized. The need to sustain the momentum of these operational successes remains at the front burner of all interfaces between the CAS and the Air Component Commanders.