🇳🇬 Enhanced Air Power Pledged As Tactical Air Command Reviews Operation HADIN KAI Operations

The Nigerian Air Force commits enhanced air support to sustain counterinsurgency gains in the North East. Full report on Zig Diaries

Desk: Defence
Date: Monday, 2 February 2026
Time: 14:30 WAT
Location: Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

The Nigerian Air Force has pledged enhanced air support for counterinsurgency operations in the North East following a high-level operational visit by the Tactical Air Command to the Theatre Headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI, reinforcing joint force momentum against insurgent threats and consolidating recent operational gains.

The commitment was made during an operational engagement at the Maimalari Military Cantonment in Maiduguri, where the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command assessed ongoing air-ground coordination and reviewed operational requirements within the Joint Task Force North East theatre.

The visit focused on strengthening joint operational effectiveness, addressing air support gaps and aligning air power deployment with evolving ground-force challenges across the theatre, where complex terrain and adaptive insurgent tactics continue to test force endurance.

According to a statement issued by Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal Michael Ekwueme, assured the Theatre Command of sustained and expanded air operations, including the deployment of additional air platforms to support ground troops and accelerate mission objectives.

The statement noted that the air support pledge is intended to mitigate operational constraints, enhance rapid response capability and sustain pressure on insurgent elements, particularly in remote and high-risk operational sectors.

Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, highlighted the decisive role of timely air support in recent operations, stressing that effective ground-to-air communication and improved transition capabilities have significantly enhanced joint operational outcomes despite increasing operational complexity.

He further noted that sustained in-theatre training across sectors has improved interoperability between air and ground components, enabling faster decision-making and more precise targeting during joint missions.

The engagement forms part of broader efforts by the Armed Forces of Nigeria to optimise joint force integration, ensuring that air power remains responsive to ground operational realities as counterinsurgency operations transition toward stabilisation and denial of insurgent regrouping.

Operational activities during the visit included detailed briefings at Theatre Headquarters, an inspection tour of the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, exchange of souvenirs, signing of the visitors’ book and interaction with personnel across operational units.

The Theatre Command confirmed that operations remain firmly under control, with troops maintaining high morale, operational readiness and sustained vigilance across all sectors of the North East theatre.

The Nigerian Air Force and Theatre Command are expected to align deployment timelines for additional air platforms, expand joint training programmes and further refine air-ground coordination to sustain operational momentum and consolidate territorial security gains.

Fact-Check & Background Context

Air power has remained a critical force multiplier in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaign, enabling rapid troop mobility, intelligence-driven strikes and close air support in difficult terrain. 

Recent emphasis on jointness reflects lessons from earlier phases of the conflict, where delayed air response and coordination gaps limited ground-force effectiveness. Enhanced air integration is widely regarded within defence policy circles as essential to sustaining long-term security gains in the North East.

🏷 Tags: Counterinsurgency, Nigeria, Nigerian Air Force, Operation HADIN KAI, Joint Operations, North East Security

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