We Are Still Searching For Fighter Jet That Went Missing About 6 Months Ago – NAF

About six months after it was declared lacking, the Nigerian Air Drive Alpha Jet marked NAF 475 is but to be discovered.

SaharaReporters had reported how the fighter jet went lacking on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, within the insurgency-ravaged Borno State in Northeastern Nigeria.

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Drive, Edward Gabkwet had mentioned the fighter jet misplaced contact with the radar in Borno State earlier that day.

Gabkwet mentioned the airplane disappeared whereas on an interdiction mission in assist of floor troops. He mentioned the mission was a part of the continued counterinsurgency operations within the North East.

“The lack of radar contact occurred at about 5:08 pm on 31 March 2021,” he had mentioned.

“Particulars of the whereabouts of the plane or probably explanation for contact loss are nonetheless sketchy however shall be relayed to most of the people as quickly as they grow to be clear. In the meantime, search and rescue efforts are ongoing.”

A couple of days later, Boko Haram terror group launched a video exhibiting its fighters taking pictures down an plane regarded as the NAF 475 alpha jet declared lacking.

Within the video that’s about seven minutes lengthy, the jet was seen flying low to the bottom whereas the insurgents shot at it.

Nevertheless, Gabkwet dismissed the video, including that there was an ongoing seek for the lacking fighter jet.

“The eye of the Nigerian Air Drive (NAF) has been drawn to some movies being circulated on Social Media, in addition to media stories drawn from there, alleging that the NAF Alpha Jet plane, which was reported lacking in Borno State on 31 March 2021 after shedding radar contact, was shot down by terrorists. One among such movies, particularly, started with sporadic taking pictures by a number of terrorists, together with underage youngsters on bikes and autos. It later skipped abruptly to a scene depicting an plane exploding mid-air, supposedly because of enemy motion. One other a part of the video confirmed a terrorist, who, whereas standing by the wreckage, claimed that they’d shot down the NAF plane.

“Though the video continues to be being totally analysed, it’s evident that almost all elements of the video have been intentionally doctored to offer a misunderstanding that the plane was shot down. As an illustration, the video clip failed to indicate the correlation between the sporadic taking pictures, which even from informal commentary was clearly aimed toward floor targets, and the sudden mid-air plane explosion. As well as, it’s virtually not possible for an plane to have exploded mid-air, within the method depicted within the video, and nonetheless have a great a part of its fuselage, together with its tail, intact. Certainly, an explosive affect of that nature would have scattered the particles of the plane throughout a number of miles,” he had mentioned.

Talking completely to SaharaReporters on Monday, the Air Drive spokesperson mentioned totally different rescue operations are ongoing in an effort to confirm the whereabouts of the fighter airplane.

“If there’s something new, really I’ll let you know. We’re nonetheless looking for the jet, if there’s any new info, you’ll be the primary particular person to know. No info on its whereabouts now, the search continues to be ongoing. It’s a steady course of,” Gabkwet informed SaharaReporters.

Requested in regards to the destiny of the pilots and their households, he mentioned, “There’s a distinction between absence with out go away and lacking in motion, they’re defending our nation and bought lacking. Ours is a course of that takes as much as seven years in this type of scenario. The pilots are nonetheless a part of Nigerian Air Drive until date.”