The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, says total radar coverage of Nigeria’s airspace is necessary for national security.
Abubakar said this at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) 2023 Communication Information Systems (CIS) Conference, on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that monitoring the Nigerian airspace through the implementation of military total radar coverage would position the NAF to meet the country’s airpower demands.
He said it was a goal the NAF had been tirelessly pursuing, and challenged the participants to bring up viable ideas to achieve the feat.
Abubakar said CIS was one of the pillars of modern military operations, because it enables commanders to make informed decisions, coordinate forces and by extension, achieve mission success.
The CAS said that the NAF had always strived to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, adding that the drive to stay ahead of the curve in adopting new technologies also corresponds with one of the key enablers of his Command Philosophy.
This, according to him, is prioritizing Research and Development, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and strategic partnerships and lessons.
He added that the conference was in furtherance of the efforts of NAF to meeting contemporary operational demands of the Armed Forces, independently or through multi-agency environment.
“Our world is changing at an unprecedented pace and the landscape of modern warfare is evolving just as quickly.
“As we gather here to deliberate on pertinent issues, it is necessary to note that we are at the intersection of technology, artificial intelligence and network-centric warfare.
“These elements are the driving forces that would shape the future of the NAF.
“Our ability to churn out ideas to harness the power of technology, will determine our success in ensuring the highest levels of operational effectiveness and efficiency,” he said.
Abubakar also called for a deep focus on artificial intelligence to revolutionize how NAF processes data, analyses information and makes informed decisions real-time during operations.
He said there should also be more efforts towards improving investment in state-of-the-art encryption and cybersecurity measures, to secure NAF communications.
“I enjoin you to look towards the principles of network-centric warfare, which comprises the ability to share data, collaborate seamlessly and coordinate operations across multiple platforms.
“This would enable us build a robust, interoperable network that connects all branches of the military and our allied partners,” the air force chief added.
Earlier, the NAF Chief of Communication Information System, AVM Ibikunle Daramola, said the CIS conference was aimed delivering innovative technology-based solutions to accomplish NAF missions.
Daramola said the resolution of the current security challenges in the country required innovative solutions using emerging CIS technologies, which could be applied on land, sea, airspace and cyber domains.
He said the core derivative of the conference was to improve the capacity of CIS personnel and reinvigorate existing procedures to enhance NAF’s operational effectiveness.
The communication officer urged the participants to come up with actionable solutions that would add value to the collective efforts of securing Nigeria.
Daramola said the CIS Branch of NAF had secured approval for the establishment of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems Maintenance workshop at 441 CIS Group Kaduna.
He said that the facility would conduct first, second and eventually third line maintenance of NAF ISR payloads and associated equipment.
He added that the branch had successfully midwifed the implementation of the NAF Paperless Automation System, known as the Digital Correspondence System, to enhance efficiency in handling correspondences.
“The plan is to eventually extend same to Commands and units,” he added.
