(screenshots processed by BHARAT, a BEEGEAGLE’S BLOGGER)
THE FOLLOWING QUOTE REFERS
“The CS-VP3 had already won contracts from two African nations since its production in 2012.”
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20131107000120&cid=1101
END
On the strength of the foregoing and given the video evidence below, it is almost safe to say that the Nigerian Army are now users of the joint Chinese-South African CS-VP3 manufactured by Poly Technologies Incorporated of China.
You might recall that we noted the Ugandan acquisition of this vehicle elsewhere on this blog. It is now clear that the second unnamed African country (whose military acquisitions are typically shrouded in secrecy) is NIGERIA.
That incontrovertible FACT is clearly visible from the video posted below. Before now, the NA were only associated with the ownership of a decent 204 units of STANAG Level 1 mine and blast protected Otokar Cobra APC (which is widely deployed for counterinsurgency operations alongside the Panhard VBL M11) and a rather paltry 12 units of the top-notch GILA MRAP, none of which has yet been pictured in combat operations in that theatre till date.
This CS/VP3 MRAP has NEVER before been seen in NA service anywhere in the country and is pictured in the video parked in front of a Landcruiser gun-truck both of which are butter-coloured and optimised for desert operations seen at “1:54 mins”. At 2:03 mins, it is again seen from the side driving across an unpaved area.
Thanks to Oga Henry, LIFE MEMBER of the High Council of Beegeagle’s Blog, for this very, very important and revelatory find and thank you to Augustine for a first effort in positively identifying what, after carefully watching this video and in the face of further evidence, I can say CATEGORICALLY, is the CS/VP3 MRAP.
Action..congrats, Nigeria. Way to go. EQUIP the military so you can hold them accountable if they fail to do their bit. NO…it does not have to be of Western origin to make sense.
God bless our embattled nation of proud people.
Beegeagle's Blog 
Way to go. Hoping the MOD will purchase a good number and will immediately be put into action. I see the tide swing now.
Amen to more of these #OpKickBokoOut
Advantage of this new Chinese CS-VP3 MRAP includes the two separate turrets on the roof, they can rotate 360 degrees and spread gunfire one 12.7mm HMG forward and the other one 12.7mm machine gun backward in a chaotic battle zone.
In an ambush, the heavy machine gun fire defence will be roof hatch one forward, one backwards, that is if it is safe or necessary to open hatch in defence, otherwise if not safe, we close hatch and use our pintle-window ports three left side rifles, and three right side rifles, without even counting two extra rifle ports, one each for driver and side occupant. This is the way to drive out of Boko Haram ambushes or to defend a village when we are out-numbered.
However, I will recommend a one man operable small automatic multiple grenade launcher or anti-material rifle for one of the roof top hatches to knock out Boko Haram 4×4 Toyota vehicles from a distance 2km away before they can fire back at us.
One grenade launcher hit on a Boko 4×4 Hilux will kill or injure about 10 to 15 Bokos with one single blow from 2km away, and if the vehicles are approaching us in a line convoy formation, the next two Boko Toyotas will crash into the one blown up in front or get hit by it`s splinters and next vehicle driver loses control, and with that good hit from an electro-optical targeting sight night vision capable, we could halt a Boko advance by shock from long range away, while we prepare for full defense or we simply counter attack. Thus, Nigerian casualties will greatly reduce, Bokos casualties will greatly multiply. Amen !
DICON Nigeria and Ploy Products China should do joint-venture with full technology transfer to DICON and Nigeria should buy 1,000 units of these very cheap CS-VP3 MRAPS….end this war for us as soon as you can, dear President Goodluck Jonathan, the humble servant leader of the giant of Africa, God will help you ! Amen !
Yeah Oga augustine,
We need to invest in stand off hand held or mounted missile systems such as the TOW missile, the MILAN HOT missile, the USMC Dragon, the Chinese Red Arrow missile and the russian Kornet E anti tank missile system.
The swedish bofors. Atgm systems are also excellent.
This is how french forces deal with technicals.
The missiles can be mounted on cars, helicopters, or just be hand held.
IT IS A CS/VP3 BIGFOOT MRAP…one notch above STANAG Level 1 vehicles such as the Otokar Cobra, Springbuck VI and Puma M26-15. Very sturdy wheels. Check this…the Casspir/GILA can withstand THREE 7kg TNT blasts for a total of 21kg. The BIGFOOT MRAP can take two even more powerful 8KG TNT blasts under each wheel for a total of 16kg.
For a sustained beating…such as mine-clearing ops, the Casspir/GILA will be hardier vehicles. For snap landmine/IED attacks followed by a getaway/dismount, it is as tough as the GILA/Casspir MRAPs.
The legendary South African GILA/Casspir MRAPs however offer better protection from ambush. OVERALL, mine resistance and ambush protection, those would score 95% while the BIGFOOT gets my 82.5%…up from my overall 60% rating for the Cobra APC. Great bang for the buck…a bold step forward
IN WORD and IN DEED, this is the second true MRAP coming to the NA after that disgustingly puny haul of GILA MRAPs. Next comes the decent mine-and-blast protected Otokar Cobra APC.
First military user in Africa…first combat deployment in the world. This is how to answer to some of our control freak friends who double as military partners. If they wont give, get it from elsewhere instead of sitting and whining like dome gutless lemon dispossessed of a banana.
EVERYTHING that we need for our War on Terror, we can get in Israel, Singapore, China and Russia sans any attempts at teaching unsolicited lessons or paternalism. Get on with it Nigeria.
pls cancel israel,afta sellin us dat fake USV
Giles says:
May 18, 2014 at 4:24 pm
pls cancel israel,afta sellin us dat fake USV
Reply
Bros was it Israel as a nation or the private arms dealer Israeli guy that sold us bad drones? Weapons are sold by manufacturers directly or through arms dealers, but news said Nigeria used a middle man for the deal. France too sold us faulty Exocet missiles in the 80s but we still buy a lot of weapons from them.
Israel sold missile technology to South Africa and our black brothers are now one of the world leaders in missile production, they sell to European and South American countries countries.
I think we should pay 50% to buy, and test weapons before we pay final 50%.
It is clear that this is the armoured vehicle which Nigeria and China are due to produce jointly in Nigeria.
The effort has my 100% support and I am sure that it would even drive the costs down even further…not to mention the transfer of technology. We should aim to make a minimum of eight units to each armoured battalion and artillery/engineers regiment, twelve units to each infantry battalion in the mechanised/81/82 divisions and 24 units for each infantry battalion under the counterinsurgency 7 DIVISION.
With favourable local production costs, we should be able to roll out 300 units for US$100 million.
While we are at it, our military utility 4WD should be the Landcruiser. It more rugged than the Hilux and is designed to operate in the desert…which the Hilux is not optimised for.
Now, that is a more professional military outlook. MRAP and Landcruiser gun-truck…much more like it. It is an ARMY and not a militia. The 4WD trucks are way too many and we need to cut back on their omnipresent deployment. Absolutely annoying.
AWAY with the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger in combat operations. Those should be for base duty and liaison in non-combat areas.
Screenshots by OBIX, a Beegeagle’s Blogger
Thanks, Ogas Bharat. Obix and Henry for the photos extracted from that video.
BHARAT, those were very, very vivid shots. Great size. Thanks, buddy.
Before Oga Henry even came up with that classic video, I saw a similar APC painted navy blue (though I think its quite smaller than the one in this video) in Abuja just this past week. I could not take a snap shot of it due to the tense security situation in the country at the moment. I posted another obscure APC on Henry’s thread on nairaland some weeks back. We could not even tell the make of the APC. The truth is that there so much more about procurement and hardware that we know little about, particularly of recent. Kudos to u Oga beeg and all other bloggers for keeping the blog alive as for me, I ve been very busy of late but I am always with you guys. We will overcome cheers!
Welcome General!
A good choice (thanks to whomever did it) but am concerned about mounted armament. i agree with Augustine choice of main and secondary armamant choices. We need the numbers now (token deployment wouldn’t cut it) while assembly line can be shipped in subsequently.
A good choice (thanks to whomever did it) but am concerned about mounted armament. i agree with Augustine choice of main and secondary armamant. We need the numbers now (token deployment wouldn’t cut it) while assembly line can be shipped in subsequently.
Oga Beeg the president said troop strength in Borno has been upgraded to 22000. Any idea where the extra boots were drafted from? I can’t seem to find any information on this
THIS MRAP most probably formed part of deliveries made in a secret deal which led to the delivery of APC/MRAPs on December 10th 2013
ELSEWHERE on December 10, 2013 at 5:16 pm Beegeagle ALERTED us to the delivery of a shipment of APCs
QUOTE
BREAKING NEWS: The COAS did say during the RSM Convention last month that new stocks of military hardware have been acquired.
I just received an alert at 5:44pm stating that fresh stocks of military APCs for the Army are right now being offloaded at an airport somewhere outside southern Nigeria. Details withheld for security reasons.
So we have new APCs to look forward to in no time at all.
END
BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG…credibility ASSURED.
NIGERIA also received another consignment of Armoured Tactical Transport vehicles late last year
I want to parrot my fellow ogas it is deemed compulsory at this stage now that we know from first hand account that we are not going to get any tangible help from the AMERICANS IN TERMS OF SECURING RUGGED APC. RUGGED procurement needs to be ramped up .
1)We need at the very minimum 500 apc one of the mounted on each of these must be a 50 cal .guns and spares and to follow ASSEMBLY LINE TECH TRANSFER FOR THE 7TH DIVISION
2) This is not AMERICAN BASHING but things to do with the army specifically AMERICAN NEEDS TO BE DISCARDED ONCE AND FOR ALL FORD RANGERS NONSENSICAL NON LETHAL AID equipment NEEDS TO BE MANDATORY DISCARDED DONATED TO LIBERIA, SIERRA LEONE
3) When this is over ( chibok) it needs to be part of OUR constitution THE F.G OF Nigeria honestly needs to be COMPELLED it MUST BE FEDERAL law donated equipment needs to be phased out because it aint worth the hassle (SH–) , the contempt and also eventually the re percussive damage in relations BETWEEN THE US AND NIGERIA that it will eventually bring.
4. It has become pretty obvious to even the most die hard OF NIGERIAN/ American loving brethren in our midsts moi included that it is ALMOST mandatory there needs to be a seismic shift in terms of MILITARY RELATIONS between CHINA AND Nigeria.bi national commissions be dammed find something stronger, something better we know they will not come with their empty hands and wagging at us. Their hands will be full.
5. We do not need to pay $3m to any lobby firm in china HAVE CASH IN HAND WITH GHANA MUST GO BAG(s) ( NO APOLOGIES) take to china get the APCS GET THE 50CAL GUNS GET THE SPARES AND COME HOME END OF STORY.
6.We are in a war that means the chief of army staff and the chief of defense staff needs to get their visa ready for Beijing not Washington , not France, not the UK go east my GENERALS GO EAST.
Oga Jimmy, Very VALID points…
I don’t think our MoD has effectively garnered the skills of playing off the west against Rusia and china to gain what they need.
They don’t seem to fully comprehend the geo-strategic importance of Nigeria in the scheme of things.
They really have to wake up from their long slumber…
That is PAKISTAN’s national pastime. It only requires that the players see the promotion of our national interest as the overriding objective.
“Go East my Generals, go East”
That was a masterpiece.
Also you are right about how much potential damage “American help” for the Chibok affair has done to Nigeria/US relationship. The contempt flows both ways now.
I believe we will survive the “noise and fury” of “American help”; but what comes after is still unclear.
BRITAIN’S BOKO HARAM PLAN EMERGES, SEEK TO EMBED MILITARY ADVISERS IN NIGERIAN HQ
http://www.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA4G04W20140517?irpc=932
FRANCE WILL NOT INTERVENE IN NIGERIA
http://www.france24.com/en/20140517-hollande-france-24-exclusive-interview-nigeria-boko-haram/#./?&_suid=140043617609608669549617531054
At the official level, the tactless allusion to battle-shyness on the part of the NA as stated by Ms. Alice Friend stands out as the lowest point in US-Nigeria relations at this time. She should not have spoken at all. It was a low blow from a friend at a time of trouble.
Compare that to the SKY NEWS reporter reaffirming the bravery and gallantry of the Nigerian infantryman.
Other COIN-challenged armies such as PAKISTAN and THAILAND are also now in the hunt for this powerful 15-ton MRAP
QUOTE
Of the Chinese firms, the biggest supply orders went to China
Shipbuilding Trading Corporation (CSTC). Pakistan Navy ordered
four advanced variants of F-22P Zulfiquar class frigates form the
firm. Poly Group Corporation secured an order for an undisclosed
number of its Type CS/VP3 MRAP vehicle.
http://www.observerindia.com/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/pakistanmilitary/PakistanMilitaryDetail.html?cmaid=44288&mmacmaid=44289&volumeno=I&issueno=34
END
QUOTE
Chinese defence companies are offering Thailand partnership status on a range of military platforms on show at the Defense &Security 2013 exhibition in Bangkok.
Officials from state-owed Poly Technologies and the China National Precision Machinery Import & Export Corporation(CPMIEC) told IHS Jane’s that the two companies are engaged in preliminary discussions with Thai defence authorities over potential collaboration on several land- and sea-based military systems.
These include CPMIEC’s HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system – known as FD-2000 in its export configuration – which was selected in October by Turkey to meet that country’s T-Loramids air defence requirement. Other equipment comprises the FL-3000N ship-based surface-to-air missile system and the FK-1000 mobile air defence system, both marketed by CPMIEC, as well as Poly Technologies’ mine-resistant, ambush-protected CS-VP3 vehicle.
http://www.janes.com/article/29388/china-offers-thailand-collaboration-on-missiles-armoured-vehicles
END
In a MRAP, the key details on protection levels are BALLISTIC PROTECTION against ambushes and MINE PROTECTION. For the ballistic protection, the protection is Level 1.
Concerning mine resistance against landmines and roadside IEDs, the BIGFOOT is particularly stern.
QUOTE
According to data released by the company, mine protection is much higher thanks to the V-shape bottom and armour package, the CS/VP3 being rated at Level 3b while under wheel it exceeds Level 4a.
END
Else where I wrote: The Political need for secrecy in our procurement ( albeit the fact that it breeds monstrous corruption) seems to be a serious burden on procurement PR. It is a complicated situation, A lot has been done already but people cannot know . However I don’t think this is one of the ones we intend to mass manufacture ( we must have gone on a lot of jamboree to several countries to make our choice). We probably mass manufacture up to 2 variants by Partnership and will get a Local Private company to mass manufacture a third type ( unrelated to China-look as if this particular deal ran into troubled political waters though). We also probably have a stop gap procurement of dozens also. A lot has also been done in the area of protecting the average soldier Viz a viz better bullet proofs vest, night vision goggles, field clinic, specific terms of enemy engagement (no longer at the sole discretion of GOC) and assurance of pay. How do you tell people that you have partially solved a problem you denied they existed in the first place? It will also take a bit of time for people to see all these-induction of ordinary APC can be a very big headache and embarrassment if not properly planned!
Do you think an assembly line for the WZ 551 APCs at DICON is on the cards?
1:05mins
Based on their uniforms, are those Air Force Special OPs?
I believe what we shall assemble( if the deal does not run into troubled waters,the N170B will change alot of arrangement- we seems to be thinking oven hot bread than planting wheat at the moment ,with N40B,you can buy 600APCs/IFVs to be delivered in 1.5 years-building half that in three years seems unattractive now) is most likely going to be a variation of Type 92 (6×6) – more of an IFV than COIN oriented APC, Paripasu is South African designed MRAP to be made in China (manufacturing right sold to China for 10,000 pieces-expected to be cheaper even than made in SA-Mobile Land Systems Caprivi range) as the main COIN Vehicle, Poly technologies( the guys with which we signed MOU) owns the right,Changan Industries will produce CKD and fully built vehicles on their behalf. There was also a Local company that is meant to assemble less dense Armored vehicles and CIT for the Police enmasse ( Spring buck type) -the deal ran aground and nobody knows why, but appears to be strongly political.
No clear idea, bro. Possibly from garrisons in the south.
Oga asorockweb they are members of NAF regiment. I just love the Tavor-21’s.
Nice.
Last time I saw NAF troopers, they had the 60’s steel helmet (The mission to Niger). I can see that they have upgraded to ballistic helmets.
Notice that the trips taken by journalists to Chibok, the protective details where provided by either police or NAF. Did anybody see NA providing protective detail for any journalistic excursions into Chibok?
The Type 92 is the WZ 551 APC! I guessed as much. It looks very similar to the French VAB which apparently inspired the design and is good to go for jungle and desert operations alike. It costs about US$500, 000 for the APC variant but has several variants including an IFV, many of which are more expensive than the quoted figure.
In Africa, it is in use in Algeria, Gabon, Tanzania, Chad, Sudan, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, among others.
For the IFV variant, it carries a 25mm cannon as primary weapon while secondary armament consists of 12.7mm HMG and a 7.62mm GPMG.
The Type 92 (WZ 551) chassis also the carrier vehicle for various weapons systems such as the 105mm assault gun,anti-tank missile, air defence missile self-propelled artillery, ambulance, ARV, CPV etc.
Step in the right direction! Now, we need to at how we can raise the ballistic protection of this vehicle @ least take care of non AP .50 cal and RPGs. This of course will add weight! Question is, will it not compromise mobility? What is the capacity of the engine? Also, what will it cost to place a RWS on each MRAP? Would love us to produce this (…anything) in country, the question is, without a viable steel industry, we will keep building piece meal! Like someone pointed out maybe we buy for now while we build capacity. As for East shift, forget it! IT WILL NOT HAPPEN, @ least NOT SOON and DEFINATELY not under GEJ
You make a good point given the threat from ambushes but I doubt that those details would be readily available. Given the specs of a base model variant, ballistic protection can and is frequently ramped up. At least, that applies in Nigeria as well where Streit APCs are in service with the Police Force.
Of course, if that is done, the engine capacity is ramped up in sync with that. So until the specific technical data sheet is seen, we would not know if the ballistic protection was stepped up. What is clear is that even at the basic level, the mine resistance is stern.
For now, I am unable to access any further details…not even the numbers thus far delivered. I am also trying to retrieve a post-blast photo of a BIGFOOT MRAP..
Concerning the surveillance aircraft seen in that video clip, the small plane with a Nigerian flag painted on it is almost certainly the Beechcraft King Air 350 special mission aircraft used for surveillance patrols
http://www.beechcraft.com/special_missions/
That is one of three surveillace aircraft types inherited from PICOMSS by the Nigerian Air Force, in the wake of the dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS)a few years ago. PICOMSS also transferred a 2001 edition Cessna 206H Turbo (5N-BKT) and DA42 MPP to the NAF.
https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/global-west-specialist-agency-to-supply-20-patrol-vessels-to-nigerian-navy-maritime-guard-commandnimasa-patrols-eight-units-already-delivered/almost
The NAF also own Alenia ATR 42-500 ELINT-MPA Surveyor planes to cap up its surveillance capabilities.
Lets hope they are not being bought piecemeal,an effective fighting doctrine has to be found for these units.Lets not start posting one or two to protect weak areas.An arc defensive formation of about 7, with the units having compositions of grenade launchers,M242 bushmaster type canon(range 3km),HMG,GPMG smoke grenades,and even short range helic drones for a birds eye view of the battle space. We still need to put boko haram on the back foot though,get them guessing.Any one with an idea about the An124 i saw on monday last week in lagos.? Must have been a military supply.
Antonov An124*
You didn’t hang around for long enough to see what they brought in? You just missed a scoop o. What if it was knocked down components of Su-30 jets? 🙂
@jimmy, you made the right assertions which I wholeheartedly support but I will say that the APC should be a minimum of 1000 we can afford that.
Coopertion on hardware production is a must.
I do not fancy the idea of mounting light gmp’s on APC’s from what I have noticed if you watch serious armies gmps are almost always hand held not mounted on APC’s watch the russians in crimea.
I do not know who on earth brought the idea of using hilux as operational vehicles in combat zone.
I will like to stress this that their should be uniformity in our soldiers combat gear, I mean there must be a standard level of kitting for each combat soldier that must be adhered to at all times e.g body armour, NVGs, knee guards their must be a standard. Not where I see some wearing desert camou and some jungle camou the zone of op must determine what dey all wear.
The moment i saw it thunder over me,all types of hardware flooded through my mind, from IFVs MRAPs to our Mi35Ms. Su30s would we be an icing.
Boy !!
I can only imagine what gifts the Ruslan is bearing.
See Nigeria with it’s oil money, only had to make up it’s mind, and the hardware will start flying in.
Up until after world war2 china was terrorized by the japanese with extreme casualty and untold hardship. This prompted them to build up their Defence capability massively and also develop their technolgy sufficiently so that it may never happen again. This reason is not lost on all chinese cadets from a recent documetry I watched. Fast forward to the late nineties after apatheid I belive the south africans took out 4billion dollars to modernise their armed forces, they have joint misile production arrangement with the brazilians I believe they have an arrangement with the chinese.
Thank God I believe our eyes are finally open, no more talk of limited resources otherwise we will not have any resource to even complain about. And thank God we know the US will always talk of selling us non-lethal weapon if they sell at all. We make our own destiny. I love being a proud nigerian not dictated to by any country.
VIVA NIGERIA!
Are you watching DW TV!
Oga ifiok, since the negative media blitz on our dear country, i have stopped watching foreign news outlets.There is so much of negativity a man can take before he looses his senses.What is on DW?
MRAPS…CS/VP3 Vs Casppir. My opinion…
For countries with more land mine threat, Casppir is better.
For countries with more ambush threat like Nigeria, CS/VP3 is better.
The Chinese have built a unique MRAP with help from South Africa.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10434:mls-scores-in-china&catid=50:Land&Itemid=105
Now Chinese ingenuity has made the two turrets rotate 360 degrees for all round firing positions, this is unique and I have not checked yet if any other MRAP in the world has this feature of rotation. Would be great if the turret guns have automatic/remote control feature so troops dont have to open the hatch to fire from roof top in a close ambush.
China is said to likely need 10,000 MRAPS.
My opinion, Nigeria needs 1,000 MRAPS urgently now for anti-Boko war, and maybe another 1,000 in a few years time.
Oga beeg, i have not been able to see my pots on this blog for days now. Pls how do i solve the problem.
Oga beeg, i can see that the problem has been solve. Thanks so much for this update. Its good to see that many equipments are being purchased to support the efforts of our troops on thhe battle field.
Oga beeg i did my investigations and discovered thet Maj.Gen T.C UDE won the COAS commendation award fro excellence at the NACDEL 2012. It supports your assertion that the 3 key officers within the 1DIV AOR which include Gen wahab, Gen abbah and Gen ude did a good job during their time there.
Indeed, for a primary weapon, I do not support the deployment of GPMGs on the Otokar Cobra or Panhard VBL. Given the reality on the ground, it is tantamount to a plan to fail.
Everywhere that I turn, the MINIMUM that I see on uparmoured Hummers, gun-trucks and light armoured vehicles, is either the DShK or Browning M2 12.7mm HMG. With BH technicals fielding 12.7mm HMGs, we should even be thinking of acquiring 14.5mm HMGs and 23mm cannons!
These 15 TON BIGFOOT MRAPs need to be armed with either 12.7mm HMGs or 14.5mm AAMGs. We should have an equal mix of 100 Landcruiser gun-trucks fielding TWIN 14.5mm and 23mm cannons to provide suppressing fire for travelling convoys.
If you want to defeat a guerrilla, you have to fight like one. In this wild neighbourhood, Chad, Libya and Sudan all know this for a fact and have hundreds of Landcruiser trucks armed with 14.5mm AAMGs, 23mm cannons and even Type 63 107mm MRLs for indirect fire/battlespace saturation. Get to google and see for yourselves.
It is the little things which we fail to take seriously that determine the outcome of battles. BH technicals do not field GPMGs. The NA need to innovate constantly. Why would anyone want to face them with GPMGs? Reckless bravado or gross negligence or the ‘all correct, sir’ syndrome even when the lives of soldiers are being endangered? Please, that is not an honourable thing to do o.
I second your loud voice General Beegeagle. Furthermore, what is your own opinion on these sir :
40mm automatic multiple grenade launchers for Nigerian army to mount on vehicles.
Single shot grenade launchers attachment on AK-47 rifle for all our soldiers.
Anti-material rifle with armour piercing explosive ammo for our army to take out BOKO’s Cobra APCs.
Proforce Nigeria to Up-armour 2,000 Toyota Lancruiser 4X4 trucks for us to use in high speed chase and rapid response distress calls to the faster and swifter Boko Haram convoys, a 180km/hr rated Toyota will out-run a 100km/hr rated mighty MRAP, so should we have a mix of up-armoured Toyotas and MRAPs ?
Bravo general beegeagle bravo !!
Seconded .
For the SECOND TIME in 8 YEARS, Nigeria have found themselves turning to an unobtrusive China as our traditional partners failed to provide materiel for our military to prosecute a war against insurgents.
Here is an old example – patrol boats sourced from China to prosecute the Gunboat War in the Niger Delta.
http://www.m.ft.com/cms/s/0/ef8dbc30-a7c6-11da-85bc-0000779e2340.html
When Western media journalists bellyache over everything from warming Sino-African ties to perceived encroachment in their sphere of interest, they should know that their paternalistic attitude is one reason why. You cut off arms supply pursuant to human rights concerns and expect a sovereign nation not to explore her options…threaten to cut off aid over LGBT rights and expect nations not to trade or seek their fortunes elsewhere?
About time that the West began to listen to the stakeholders instead of thinking for them and prescribing what they deem to be right. Sooner than later, several countries in Africa shall be entering into mutual defence treaties with Russia and China and granting them basing rights, just so that they can make their sovereign choices and stand by same without the fear of an invasion by all-knowing Western nations. These are words on marble. Look at Sudan, Zimbabwe and Tanzania and their strategic relationship with China? Africans are watching and wighing pros and cons.
The other day during the signing of the agreement on the construction of the new East African Railways, the Ugandan President said as follows;
Quote
“We are happy to see that China is
concentrating on the real issues of
development,” Museveni said. “They don’t give lectures on how to run
local governments and other issues I don’t want to mention.”
END
The West are alienating hundreds of millions of Africans with their unending pontification about ideal ways of doing things and attempts to teleguide every process for their own long-term benefit. The paradigms are shifting and Africans are exploring their options. The carrots are Chinese and the West have few goodies to offer. The West however are not trying to smell the coffee. It won’t be Africa’s loss if this condescending approach to diplomacy is not reviewed.
Fancy Britain now trying to have military advisers embedded in our DHQ so that they can teleguide our COIN operations with a view to turning claiming the glory for themselves at a later date in their usual wide-mouthed way.
Above all, in this biggest nation called Nigeria, if we lay ourselves open to such self-serving schemes, our smaller African sister republics can be easily whipped into line by getting told that “big Nigeria with all her resources did it, why shouldn’t you?”. So Britain, looking at a France darting around from CIV to Mali and the CAR seek to recapture her lost imperial glory and Nigeria will be just the right place to relaunch that bid.
That is why Nigerians must be careful about the exaggerated hostile propaganda coming out from the UK at this time. It is all leading somewhere and it is not intended to advance Nigeria’s interests in any way.
The second ostensible driver of the UK’s offer to help Nigeria lies in the realisation that they have been knocked off their top perch by the USA as far as influence with the Nigerian military is concerned. This gale of hostile rhetoric aimed at the Nigerian military is geared towards regaining lost influence here.
Why do they want to help us now? We went through the Gunboat War and they stood aloof. Ever since Nigeria became a global piracy hotspot, Britain have sold seven ex-RN OPVs with a combined displacement of about 9,500 tons to Bangladesh – money which the Britons could give away and not feel it – while a more critically challenged Nigeria was left in the lurch.
Why would an America which has been large-hearted enough to donate six large ships with a combined displacement of over 10,500 tons not edge out the ‘criticise but do nothing to help’ Britons from their undeserved position of influence? Who can fool people all the time? America even went further to help emplace a coastal radar station.
And now, the UK are coming with disingenious and self-serving schemes such as being embedded in our DHQ until BH are defeated? If Nigeria EVER capitulate to that devious scheme…that would be the day that we become disinterested in anything to do with this country. How many more mistakes do we have to make? How did we get here? While we were shouting about the depletion of our military power, some in high places were waxing lyrical about competing demands, lulled into a state of lethargy by deeply-flawed threat assessments.
If I did not have deep love for and faith in our country’s military, given the current spate of negative reportage directed against them, we would have since turned our backs to them as the global media churn out a barrage of deeply humiliating reports about our military, even as many of our self-loathing civilian compatriots are delirious with glee at the fate which has befallen our own military.
Everyone needs to sit up..America tell your high officials to zip it instead of backstabbing our nation and her troops with outrageous and deprecating comments on the big stage which misrepresent the essence of the Nigerian military. That is a treacherous way to handle an embattled ally.
Britain, stay back in your DHQ in London. If you cannot materially support the COIN operations without getting close enough to scrutinise and run us down some more, keep your Giffen goods. Pls, go home after this Chibok affair. Work with Israeli, US, French, Chinese and Nigerian officers for now. Forget that British military advisory team which you want to be embedded in our DHQ until BH cease to exist. Go advice yourselves in Afghanistan first. We remember how you stole ECOMOG’s glory in Sierra Leone. You guys are adept at undercutting anyone who’s not as wily
FG, una don see am now? Competing demands. See as Oyibo dey fall we hand now? EQUIP the DEFSEC forces and quit this beggarly rhetoric about competing demands. You can only save money in the name of a country which exists. You want our country to fall apart first before action gets taken to put her forces on the best footing? SPEND MONEY ON OUR MILITARY. It takes more than a Hilux and a rifle to equip an army. Cheap KILLS. That is the price which you are making all of us pay for not having kept eyes fastidiously on the requirements of the military. E don do o..abeg una.
Una good morning. I don comot.
Couldn’t have said it any better.
Madam Okonjo, you were boasting to a western audience, how you stood up to “the generals” when you insisted on further defense cuts.
Now the same western interests, are ridiculing nigeria, for military incompetence.
Your biggest day, as a host of the global financial community, was hijacked by insecurity, owing to the paucity of viable air platforms in our arsenal.
# JUST SAYING.
Thanks bro.
@Agostinho.
Once upon a time on this blog, I wrote a precis about what I thought would be an ideal mix of combat vehicles. In it, there was room for the Landcruiser (not Hilux) as a multipurpose weapon carrier operating in the shadow of MRAPs,
The Landcruiser is more rugged than the Hilux and the air cleaner on the Landcruiser prevents the engine from sucking in dust in desert-prone areas such that the vehicle does not get bogged down and becomes a sitting duck for enemy gunners.
The Landcruiser would maneouvre nimbly and operating alongside 12.7mm HMG-armed armoured vehicles such as the Bigfoot MRAP, Otokar Cobra and Panhard VBL, a Landcruiser with twin 23mm mounted cannons could by default enjoy enough ‘collateral protection’ to obliterate an enemy ambush party with superior firepower. I have always said that the LANDCRUISER gun-trucks have a place in our arsenal. There is no frontline role for you know what the other 4WD trucks are. Even for carrying troops between Marte and Bage, a Hilux could get enveloped by a sandstorm and the crew will be finished. They have no role in that theatre.
Again, I also had the PROFORCE PF2 APV in my plan as an ancillary protected troop-carrying vehicle travelling alongside MRAPs, APCs and heavily-armed gun-trucks.
What we have always decried is the outrageous 10 Hilux: 1 APC ratio and absolutely no purpose-built MRAPs in that theatre.
Concerning the 40mm AGL, I have also wondered why we are not seeing them. Nigeria field hundreds of Sinagpore Technologies Kinetics 12.7mm HMGs on river gunboats and many of those have STK 40mm AGLs mounted alongside. In addition to .50 cals in gunshields mounted fore, we can also deploy pintle-mounted AGLs aft on a Landcruiser.
PROFORCE Leopard ACVs come with two aft-facing pintle mounts for ancillary weapon systems.
CNN correspondent Vladimir Duthier repeatedly tells the world that Boko Haram is better armed and outnumber the Nigerian military. He says when boko haram attacks they come with rocket propelled grenades and armoured personnel carriers while the Nigerian army at best are equiped with AK-47 with one Magazine and no radios for communication hence this makes them superior in terms of fire power.What kind of journalism is that?
That is what their ‘area consultants’ tell him. How a rebel group which manages to hold unto a mortar can be better armed than an army with artillery and armour remains to be seen. It is quite possible that he is not given to serious contemplation.
Such cynical and naive analyses shall continue to dominate the media space until the NA make BH understand that an army is different from a militia.
Come the day.
Colonel, I am very sorry about your haven been left incommunicado for days now. That was due to circumstances beyond my control. Several people hear have felt it too. Anytime that such problems crop up, feel free to reach me at
beegeaglesblog@ovi.com
so that we can jointly work on trying to fix the problem. I was actually wondering if you had gone AWOL 🙂 becos I sure say u nor dey on pass o.
Ref General TC Ude, that explains it. The COAS Commendation for 2012 NADCEL was not so obvious as that which happened in 2013. It could be that the excitement about the Made-in-Nigeria IGIRIGI APC overshadowed all else. So the trio of Major Generals Wahab, Abbah and Ude who pacified the Sokoto-Kaduna-Zaria-KANO axis all came through 1 Division too.
That was a stellar performance. It is now easy to forget how anarchical Kano had become with daily attacks on checkpoints, driveby shootings, suicide bombings and citywide invasions. To have come through that was something special.
Nor can we forget those heady days when suicide attacks targeted at churchgoers were a regular nuisance in Kaduna and Zaria. That was quite painful for two balmy cities where I used to take touristic holidays from Abuja (whilst I was there) to visit at weekends – the suya, kilishi and the laidback, unpretentious pace away from the name droppers and social climbers who abound in Abuja.
The military have really done a lot since 2012 to have restored calm to terror-afflicted urban centres such as KANO, MDGR Jos, Kaduna, Zaria, Sokoto, Suleja, Okene, Bauchi, Gombe, Mubi, Yola, Geidam, Potiskum and Damaturu etc. Remember when there used to be 3 days of fighting in Damaturu and Potiskum, for instance?
It is just unfortunate that this business of BH preying on Far Northeast border districts continues to overshadow the good work which was done in those big cities and towns hitherto characterised by urban mayhem?
What we are witnessing is the application of the same template used in Mali on Nigeria.. The western media have lunched a barrage of media offensive against our country.. Added by short sighted politicians and so called activist who won’t blink to sell their country for some retweet and notoriety on social media.. We are at war.. Not just with boko haram but with forces who won’t rest until this country is disintegrated.. This is time for the government to go on the offensive.. Enough playing good guys and trying to please everyone.. It’s time to activate Putin mode and take back the narrative about our country.. It won’t be easy given the magnitude of reach and eye balls the western media get.. But tactical alliance with Russia and China would allow our message and narrative to go through. It high time we get passed this spoke person / press statement 80s era of PR.. If we have to get PR expects so be it. Our story in this war needs to come out.. Even without the new acquisition we weren’t doing too badly.. It’s time we put up a show of what we have been up to.. Surveillance videos.. Our special forces SBS, army rangers, Rapid Reaction Force.. We need to how videos from our UAV our surveillance assets.. This is really not hard.. If we do not get our story out.. Smh I am afraid what this would crescendo into.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
CS/VP3 BIGFOOT MRAP
Chinese defence industry presents for the first time the production vehicle of a new MRAP (Mine- Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle), the CS/VP3. The vehicle is designed and developed by Poly Technologies. The CS/ VP3 is an APC Armoured Personnel Carrier in the category of MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle) vehicle. The vehicle was unveiled with a scale model at the DSA 2012, defence exhibition in Malaysia.
MRAP vehicles were largely used during the war in Iraq and currently in Afghanistan. According to the company Poly Technologies, the vehicle offers a level protection to STANAG 4569 3B for an 8kg TNT equivalent under hull explosion, and STANAG 4569 4A for a 16kg TNT under wheel explosion.
There are two small manual single turret, one mounted at the front and one on the rear of the top crew compartment which can rotated on 360°, each with one single hatch. The turrets can be armed 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun.
The engine compartment of the CS/ VP3 is at the front, driver and commander in the middle and infantry soldiers compartment at the rear. Several storage compartments are located in the vehicle’s exterior body section to facilitate the storage and carrying of various types of logistical equipment and ammunition. One single door is provided for the driver and the commander and one to the rear of the hull allowing the troops to leave and enter quickly in the vehicle.
There are four bulletproof windows on each side of the hull with a firing port in the center. The front of the crew compartment is fitted with two large bulletproof windows; the right one is equipped with one firing port in the middle.
The CS/VP3 is based on a V- shaped hull and all-welded steel armour that provides a ballistic protection against firing of small arms 7.62x51mm caliber. The CS/VP can accommodate a total of 12 soldiers, including driver and commander. The troop’s compartment has a total of 10 individual seats, 5 on each side of the vehicle, facing inwards.
The CS/VP3 is motorized with a unspecified diesel engine. The vehicle can run at a maximum road speed of 100km with a maximum cruising range of 800 km. The CS/VP3 is able to negotiate slopes up to 60%, side slopes to 30%, vertical obstacle of 0.6m and fording depth of 1.2m
Yes oooo Oga beeg. Its disheartening to see people forget so soon how the NA was able to pacify those towns driving the insurgents to the north east. The 3 Generals are branch chiefs in army headquarters. I believe the COAS who served in jaji know their worth and deployed them to the headquarters to help him. I expect to see at least one of them becoming a GOC when the next postings come out.
Has anybody googled “bokoharam wiki leaks” together? It is not a funny reading at all.
something to finally calm my annoyed mind and nerves down.however regardless of the capabilities of this mrap patrol balancing is essential.oga drag_on I’ve read it and it annoyed me and increased my distrust for the west.i wish Edward snowden would reveal more on this.it would be disastrous on the image that america wants to create in nigeria..this negative publicity from foreign media outlets sometimes makes me want to break my tv screen.but i bet u that cameroun would refuse to do anything to help us defeat bokoharam regardless of any attempt at creating a joint operations squad.its been tried before and never achieved anything.my solution may sound stupid or non-chalant but it is time to ramp up the procurement cos anytime soon we would be knocking at cameroun’s far north doors(invasion) and france will come caling…………………………………………………