Earlier this week, the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) announced it had carried out its first major air campaign with a recent mission called “Operation Gama-Aika” which resulted in the death of 15 Boko Haram insurgents. NAF’s surveillance ISR King Air a350i played a key part.
Group captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the spokesperson for NAF, said in a press release that the terrorists were spotted hiding under a tree grouping by a NAF King Air A350i Beechcraft aircraft on a Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission. The aircraft was surveying the Sambisa forest in the volatile northeast part of Nigeria.
The King Air 350i sent quick signals to an Alpha Jet for dispatch. The Jet bombed the convoy, resulting damage including 7 destroyed Hilux vehicles (including two gun trucks), 15 dead insurgents and multiple insurgents who fled with gunshot wounds.
NAF’s Operation Gama Aiki, a Hausa-coined nom de guerre which means ‘Finish the Job’, was launched on Friday June 19 with a mission to dislodge remnants of Boko Haram insurgents fleeing Sambisa forest.
“The casualty figure was confirmed by ground forces who subsequently consolidated on the gains of the air effort to pursue and inflict further casualty on the fleeing wounded members of the terrorist group,” said Famuyiwa in his statement.
“The latest victory against the BHTs brings to fore the important role of airpower in counterinsurgency operation. In furtherance of this role, the NAF has been relentless in its effort to shape the battlespace and provide favourable environment for own surface forces to operate.”
With the success of the mission, Nigeria is now looking to increase the tempo of air missions since they have began yielding good results.