Lobito - Forty-one cadets from the National Air Force Academy on Wednesday, in the municipality of Catumbela, Benguela, completed the 5th course in aeronautical military sciences.
In his capacity of chairman of the act, the Chief of the General Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces, Aviation General Altino dos Santos, stressed that one of the main objectives of the army academic as a higher education institution is the specialized technical training and advocated that must be the basis of high ethical, civic and moral values of the cadets.
“The world is dynamic and military sciences must be much more”, stated the general officer, making reference to the internet, which, in his opinion, was born, grew and developed in the military environment.
“Attention must focus on the training of highly qualified and morally upright officers, expected to perform critical roles in defence, in order to guarantee the protection of national airspace and the efficiency of military operations”, defended the general.
Altino dos Santos considered training of new cadres of the National Air Force as a must taking into account the maintenance of the academy as a mandatory nursery for staff training which contributes to the reduction of pressure that is experienced in the units of this branch of the Armed Forces.
“FAN is currently experiencing a process of modernization in its multiple aspects and with a more technological future. The generational transition that the branch is experiencing must invest its future leaders in keeping up with the dynamics of contemporary wars”, he stated.
To this end, according to the Chief of General Staff, personnel must engage in professional, psychological and moral technical improvement, always bearing in mind that "in war, courage, determination and sacrifice are essential to achieve victory " .
At FAN, each training session lasts five years. The latter began on March 15, 2019.
According to data from the Director of Education, Colonel António João Domingos, the cadets attended Pilot-Aviator courses, Tactical Anti-Air Defense Command, Tactical Radio Troops, which are linked to radar, Air Administration, among others.
“After training, the Academy sends the new officers to the National Directorate of Human Resources and this directs them to the units, according to their needs and specialties”, he explained.
At the time, the finalists, including 38 men and three women, graduated with the rank of sub-lieutenant and received diplomas and other documents.
Future projects of the Unit
The commander of the National Air Force Academy, Lieutenant-General João Oliveira Borges, revealed that the unit has new courses on its portfolio, namely Telecommunications and Technical Radio assurance, Patriotic Education, linked to Political Sciences and also Logistics.
“We are now looking for specialized teachers for these airlines, although they are not easy to find on the market”, he said, highlighting the importance of having equipped libraries, so that training is solid.
“Although we have some bibliographic collection, it is necessary to complement it with the virtual one”, he stated.
The official highlighted the need to train more pilots to fly on existing aircraft and gradually replace the current ones, as some of them already occupy leadership and command positions.
He congratulated the finalists on their performance, saying it was the best course, as everyone had passed with above average grades.
João Oliveira Borges recalled, however, that training involved difficulties during the Covid-19 period and informed that due to this the Academy was forced to continue teaching online and via videoconference for some time.
The National Air Force Academy, located at Catumbela Air Base, was founded on August 15, 2015 and has already graduated 292 cadets. TC/CRB/MRA/DOJ
