On Thursday 5 June 2025, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Special Operations Command (SOC) Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Vice Marshal UK Abdullahi delivered a lecture titled ‘Air Power in Joint Operations: NAF in Perspective’, to participants of Naval Warfare Course (NWC) 9 of Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN). The lecture was held at the College Central Lecture Hall. The purpose of the lecture was to acquaint participants of NWC 9 with the roles and contributions of air components in joint operations with particular emphasis on NAF participation in joint operations.
Air Vice Marshal UK Abdullahi highlighted the roles and contributions of air components in joint operations which include close air support, air interdiction, armed air recce missions, intelligence surveillance reconnaissance as well as casualty and medical evacuations. Others include tactical airlift, maritime air operations, information operations and search and locate operations among others. He stated that these contributions of the air components have impacted significantly in the degradation of enemy combat power, denial of freedom of movement and logistics as well as the degradation of the adversary’s will in various joint operations theatres across the country.
The very senior officer also underscored the importance of air power in contemporary warfare, particularly in the context of joint operations. He stated that the synergy between air power and other components of military power has proven to be crucial in achieving decisive outcomes in the battlefield. He further stated that the effective employment of air power requires careful planning, coordination and execution as well as deep understanding of the operational environment and the adversary’s capabilities. The AOC concluded his lecture by emphasizing on the need for joint training and joint planning to enhance understanding of the capabilities and limitations of all components so as to ensure proper synergy and coordination during joint operations.
The Commandant NWCN, Rear Admiral AO Olodude appreciated the AOC SOC NAF for the insightful lecture and for sparing time from his busy schedule to deliver the lecture. He thereafter reiterated the importance of joint operations where Services leverage on each other’s strengths as against the conduct of individual Service operations. The Commandant concluded his remarks by encouraging participants to note the lessons drawn from the lecture for future applications as operational-level commanders.
