Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), João Lourenço, congratulated on Wednesday the National Air Force (FAN) for the celebration of its 50th anniversary of its creation marked on January 21.
In a note, the Angolan Head of State greets the general officers, senior officers, captains, junior officers, sergeants, privates and civilian workers, with “deep recognition and a high sense of State”.
The President adds that the date is celebrated in a period of special historical significance for the country, in which the 50th anniversary of National Independence was celebrated last year.
João Lourenço considered the National Independence a milestone in the affirmation of the sovereignty of the Angolan people and the consolidation of Angola as a free, independent State committed to peace, national reconciliation and social progress.
The president noted that, since its creation, the FAN has established itself as a strategic pillar of national defense, playing a decisive role in guaranteeing the sovereignty of the airspace.
The FAN’s role has also been crucial in preserving territorial integrity, supporting joint operations of the Angolan Armed Forces, internal security, as well as in missions of public, humanitarian, and civil protection interest, the statement says.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the FAA, the Air Force was born from the historical need to consolidate national independence, defend the young Republic, and guarantee the Angolan State’s capacity to respond to security and defense challenges.
Throughout these decades, the statement said, the FAN has demonstrated high professionalism, courage, discipline, and a sense of mission, contributing decisively to the maintenance of peace, national reconciliation, and the political and social stability of the country.
João Lourenço underscored that the current geostrategic context imposes on modern air forces a permanent adaptation to rapid technological transformations and new multidimensional threats, including those of a hybrid, cybernetic, and unconventional nature.
The president adds that the new situation also requires strengthening interoperability with the other branches of the Angolan Armed Forces and with strategic partners in the collective security field.
The Head of State said the Angolan government has reaffirmed its firm commitment to continue the modernization, re-equipment and strengthening of the National Air Force, investing in human capital, scientific and technological innovation and improving operational capacity.
According to the Commander-in-Chief, the men and women who are part of the Air Force continue to be its greatest asset and the basis of its success.
“It is also a source of great national pride the contribution of the Angolan Air Force in the field of military diplomacy, regional, continental and international cooperation, through participation in joint exercises, technical-military exchanges, peace support missions, humanitarian operations and cooperative security actions, projecting Angola as a responsible partner, committed to peace, stability and the development of peoples,” Lourenço said.
According to the President, “in this jubilee year, we celebrate the past achievements, honor those who gave their best to the homeland, including the sacrifice of their own lives, and reaffirm our commitment to the future, which demands greater discipline, cohesion, professionalism, and dedication to building an Angola that is increasingly just, safe, peaceful, developed, and socially inclusive.”
João Lourenço reiterated his commitment to continue supporting all efforts aimed at strengthening the National Air Force, valuing the military career, reinforcing its internal cohesion, and consolidating its supreme mission of defending national sovereignty, guaranteeing peace, and contributing to the social and economic development of the country, in close coordination with the Organs of the National Security System.
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