The Nigerian Air Force has reaffirmed its commitment to innovation and self-reliance with the commencement of the 2026 Intra-Command Research and Development Competition by the Air Training Command.

The chief of transformation and innovation, Muhammad Ibrahim, stated this at the opening of the competition on Thursday in Kaduna.

Mr Ibrahim said the annual competition was introduced by the NAF Headquarters to promote a culture of innovation critical to achieving self-reliance in air operations.

He said the initiative aligns with the command philosophy of the chief of the air staff, Sunday Aneke, which emphasises innovation, emerging technologies, inter-agency collaboration and strategic partnerships.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it. In an era of rapid technological advancement and evolving global threats, the ability to adapt and innovate is essential,” he said.

He noted that in the past 15 years, NAF R&D efforts had produced innovations such as the Mi-35 helicopter diaphragm, Alpha Jet heat shields, and locally developed rocket ammunition and launchers.

According to him, some of these innovations have been deployed in operational theatres, significantly enhancing the service’s capabilities.

Mr Ibrahim added that ATC had also achieved successes, including the reactivation of obsolete test benches and the development of new ones for platforms such as the Dornier-228 aircraft.

He said the competition would showcase ideas capable of addressing current operational challenges while preparing participants for the NAF R&D Exhibition scheduled for May as part of the 2026 NAF Day celebrations.

(NAN)