The four Super Mushshak aircraft loaned to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, by the Pakistan Government, have been returned to the country.
The aircraft were initially loaned to Nigeria for the flying training of its pilots at 401 Flying Training School Kaduna.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the disassembled aircraft were loaded aboard a cargo aircraft and flown out of the NAF Base in Kaduna on Monday, 23 October 2017.
The returned aircraft were temporarily made available by the Pakistan Government, at no extra cost, to the NAF, for the commencement of training of its pilots in December 2016, prior to the delivery of the 10 trainer aircraft ordered by the NAF.
Before the four Super Mushshak trainer aircraft returned back in Pakistan, the Force was able to train 4 Instructor Pilots and graduate 16 ab-initio student pilots, including 2 female pilots, at the 401 Flying Training School Kaduna.
It was gathered that the Air Force was able to train its pilots locally thereby helping to build the needed capacity to further prosecute the fight against insurgency in the North East.
It was learnt that having taken delivery of the first batch of five new trainer aircraft, there was no longer any need for the NAF to retain the four loaned Super Mushshak aircraft and hence, the return of the aircraft, in line with the agreement between the two parties.
The NAF is expecting to receive the remaining five brand new Super Mushshak aircraft it had since ordered before the end of December 2017.
