The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, MON attended the Czech Air Force Days at Mošnov Airfield, Ostrava and commended the government’s commitment to manufacturing more advanced equipment and platforms, noting that Nigeria would require such platforms to boost the fight against terrorism and banditry.
The Minister was accompanied by the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Sulaiman Halilu, Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), Dr. Dahiru Muhammed, and other members of the delegation from the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a statement by Queeneth Iheoma-Hart, Chief Information Officer noted.
Dr. Matawalle and his delegation, alongside Mr. Peter Markvart, CEO of DEFCON, also conducted a guided tour of exhibition stands covering both Land and Air platforms. Platforms inspected included the L-39 Skyfox Jet Trainer and Light Attack Aircraft and the L-410NG Multipurpose Transport Aircraft.
Other stands visited included Colt CZ Group, manufacturers of assault rifles BREN-2, BREN-3, M4, AR-15, Sub-Machine Gun EVO-3, various calibres of arms and ammunition, and ballistic protective gear; and MESIT, producers of tactical radios and passive surveillance systems VERA.
The CEOs, Mr. Andrej Furin, Mr. Petr Holouk and Mr. Ivan Ivanov, briefed the Honourable Minister on the functions and capabilities of their various platforms and equipment.
Minister Matawalle who was impressed with the advanced technologies on display, appreciated the companies for their commitment to manufacturing more advanced equipment and platforms, noting that Nigeria would require such platforms to boost the fight against terrorism and banditry.
The companies, in turn, assured the Minister of their readiness to provide and support Nigeria with modern platforms equipped with advanced technology for deployment in ongoing operations.
In a related development, the Minister held separate strategic meetings with the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Miroslav Hlaváč, Commander of the Czech Land Forces, Maj. Gen. Josef Trojánek, and Commander of the Czech Air Force, Brig. Gen. Petr Tománek.
Discussions centred on military support in the areas of training, equipment maintenance, and provision of more technologically advanced platforms for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
In their separate responses, the Czech Chief of General Staff and the Commanders of the Land and Air Forces expressed their intention to provide all necessary support required to assist the AFN in the ongoing fight against terrorism and banditry in parts of Nigeria.
