Ethiopian Air Force Committed to Developing Together With African Countries: Lt Gen. Yilma

Addis Ababa, December 14/2023(ENA) Ethiopian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Yilma Merdasa affirmed the Air Force's readiness and commitment to working and developing together with African brothers and sisters as African destiny is interconnected.

Future African Air Forces Forum (FAAF) is underway in Bishoftu town in connection with the celebration of the 88th anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force. 

The forum brought together Africa's air force chiefs and top leadership from the continent, companies, experts and government officials to present and discuss achievements and challenges faced by the air force communities today and in the future. 

Speaking at the occasion, Ethiopian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Yilma Merdasa said the purpose of this Air Force Forum is to lay a foundation to bring dispersed capabilities that we all have to a platform through which we can all benefit from. 

"It is believed that this Forum also serves as a platform for enhancing and advancing air force capabilities that will help build pillars of bilateral and multilateral partnership," he added. 

Furthermore, the forum will set a direction through which our air force capabilities will be coordinated in countering security challenges which our continent is facing, such as terrorism and piracy, he added.

Lt Gen.Yilma further said since founded in 1935, apart from its national tasks, the Ethiopian Air Force has been supporting many brotherly African countries in close air support, air reconnaissance, training and air transport. 

"As we all witness, in the contemporary security environment and globalization, we all have similar opportunities we could all make out of it and the challenges posing threats to our national security," Lieutenant General Yilma stated. 

We are in an environment that requires us to cooperate to either benefiting from those opportunities available or counter threats faced be it local or transitional one. 

Challenges are not prone to only once national border and therefore, to mitigate contemporary challenges, cooperation is demanding and very crucial, the airforce commander said.

"From Ethiopian Air Force side, I would like to affirm our readiness and commitment to working and developing together with our African brother and sisters as our destiny is interconnected," he reiterated.

 Moreover, he noted that Ethiopian Air Force is currently undergoing and registering remarkable achievements over the last five years following the political reforms launched at national level in 2018. 

At the end of this forum, we will be able to articulate areas of cooperation such as exchanges of trainee's, trainers, technicians and staff as well as other resources available in our respective air forces, he added.

The 88th anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force is being celebrated with various programs, while closing celebration will be held on December 16, 2023, it was indicated.