ON THE SOURCE AND WEAPONISATION OF THE NIGERIAN ARMY AVIATION UNIT’S GAZELLE HELICOPTERS ; MY FINDINGS

BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG
13 January, 2013

Let me, on the strength of privileged insights, now divulge what one has been able to cobble together as it pertains to the sudden appearance of Gazelle helicopters deployed for combat operations in NE Nigeria.

– Nigeria directly acquired five units of Gazelle helicopters from France. These were first seen in combat deployment in Feb 2015

– SOUTH AFRICA’s Paramount Group are upgrading them by installing the FLASH system, “an advanced development on the SAWS system that they did for Iraq’s Eurocopter helicopters” Herewith, all the relevant details of the FLASH.

– The said combat module is fully day/night combat-capable and incorporates Ingwe anti-tank missiles, 70mm guided rockets, Head Up Display system, Helmet System, Sighting System, 12.7mm gun pod and 20mm cannon.

This potent panoply are specifically geared towards the weaponisation of legacy light helicopters such as the Gazelle, Bell 206 Jet Ranger and Bell 212.

– Paramount Group are completing the work in Nigeria as well as undertaking training and skills transfer. “That was their unique proposition which got them the contract over their competitors in France and Israel”

ADDENDUM: Some similar-sized but more modern helicopters identified in photos and in Nigerian Air Force hangars since 2015 are the Fennec (photos in my Twitter photo file) and the EC 635 with its distinctive fenestron (will post photos as soon as practicable)

FIELD IMAGERY FROM THE FRONTLINES OF NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA

A RM-70 Multiple Rocket Launch System lets go a salvo

A Toyota Landcruiser gun truck

NIGERIAN ARMY ESTABLISH NEW ARMY DIVISION IN NORTHERN BORNO, ANOTHER NEW DIVISION COMING TO THE NIGER DELTA; ARMY STRENGTH TO EXCEED 200,000 IN 8YRS

DAILY POST
13 January, 2016

Buratai made this disclosure on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the National Defence College, Abuja.

Recall that the Nigerian Army Command in August 2013 had established the 7th Infantry Division in Maiduguri to boost the military’s counter-insurgency operation in the North-East.

According to Buratai, the establishment of the new division was part of a strategic plan by the Army to boost military operations against terrorists, particularly in areas around the Lake Chad Basin.

“The establishment of the new divisions is part of a strategic plan to improve on the Nigerian Army’s operational capabilities in the face of emerging threats to national security. He confirmed that the establishment of the additional formations would bring the number of divisions in the Nigerian Army to eight.

“Emerging threats to the security of our nation which have been aggravated by the proliferation of armed groups have added to the task of the military in protecting the lives of Nigerians and the integrity of its territory.

“The focus of the Nigerian Army today is to find lasting solutions to these contemporary threats posed by the activities of the armed groups and their allies.

“The Nigerian Army, therefore,remains poised to the extermination of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria; today,they can no longer hold any territory as it used to be in the past that is why they have resorted to the use of IEDs to hit soft targets.

“We have established the 8 division located in the northern part of Borno specifically to clear the area of the remaining terrorists elements while another division, 6 Division, will be established in the South-South,’’ the boss said.

Though details of the new establishment were not disclosed, Buratai said the division would soon become fully operational with logistics and manpower deployments, adding that plans were underway to establish another division to be known as the Nigerian Army 6 Division with Headquarters in the South-South region of the country.

BACKGROUNDERS

https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/articulate-your-strategic-vision-2015-2035-for-the-nigerian-army/

https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/setting-a-national-defence-and-security-agenda-for-the-incoming-buhari-administration/

https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/review-of-nigerias-national-defence-policy-make-your-contributions-here-2/#comment-78904

https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/musings-on-the-formation-of-a-special-operations-command-for-the-nigerian-army/

PHOTO NEWSREEL: USA PRESENT 24 MRAP VEHICLES TO THE NIGERIAN ARMY

COURTESY: EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IN NIGERIA

A 36 METER PATROL CRAFT OF THE MARITIME GUARD COMMAND (EX-NORWEGIAN HAUK CLASS TORPEDO BOAT)

INFOGRAPHICS OF THE SU-34 FULLBACK STRIKE FIGHTER

UNITED STATES SET TO PRESENT 24 MINE RESISTANT AMBUSH PROTECTED VEHICLES VALUED AT US$11 MILLION TO THE NIGERIAN ARMY TODAY

NAVISTAR MAXXPRO MRAP

CAIMAN MRAP

THE NEWS
7 January 2016

The United States will handover to the Nigerian army today 24 mine-resistant and armour-protected vehicles, as part fulfilment of its promise to help Nigeria in its war against Boko Haram insurgents.

The vehicles valued at $11m, would be handed over to the military authorities at the Nigerian Army 9th Brigade Parade Ground, Ikeja Army Cantonment in Lagos.

This was contained in a statement by the Public Affairs Section of the United States Consulate General Lagos on Wednesday.

“The US is pleased to donate 24 Mine-Resistant, Armour- Protected (MRAP) vehicles valued at $11m to Nigeria’s military authorities.

“The equipment donation represents part of the continuing US
commitment to Nigeria and its neighbours to counter Boko Haram’s senseless acts of terror and promote regional security.”

BACKGROUNDER

https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/usa-exporting-arms-to-nigeria-despite-ban-navistar-maxxpro-caiman-mraps-plasan-sasa-light-armoured-vehicles-lined-up-for-delivery/

BOKO HARAM: US RENEWS COLLABORATION WITH NIGERIA, NEIGHBOURS

(FILE PHOTO, June 2014)

NEW TELEGRAPH
30 December 2015

The U.S. Government has restated its commitment to help Nigeria and its neighbours to counter terrorism acts by Boko Haram.

A statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, however, said that much still needed to be done to ensure that the people of Nigeria and its neighbours lived in peace.

“The United States remains committed to helping Nigeria and its neighbours counter Boko Haram’s senseless acts of terror. “Despite much progress over the past year—due in large part to newly bolstered Nigerian and regional efforts—more work remains to ensure the people of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria can live in peace.

“The conflict has affected the lives of communities across the Lake Chad Basin region with some 2.5 million internally displaced people and more than 170,000 Nigerian refugees forced to flee their homes,’’ the statement said.

It said the U.S. had provided various forms of support for Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency. “The United States provides advisors, intelligence, training, logistical support and equipment to our African partners as they work to defeat Boko Haram.

“We also support those affected by Boko Haram’s violence through on-going humanitarian aid and victim support services. “The United States will continue working with our partners in the region to identify new opportunities to support their efforts to stop Boko Haram’s wanton violence and restore order in the Lake Chad Basin region,” it said.

CHINESE AFICIONADO, XIN LINGYU, SAYS “EVEN THE BASELINE JF-17 THUNDER BLOCK 1 IS MORE MANOEUVREABLE THAN THE GRIPEN C/D”

JF17 THUNDER

JAS-39D GRIPEN (DEFENCE INDUSTRY DAILY PHOTO)

The Youtube videos posted earlier on your blog is quite understandable because the T/W ratio in Beegeagle’s post is totally wrong!

The empty weight of JF-17 Block I is 6411, while JAS-39 C/D is 6800 kg; the thrust for RD-93 is 8700 kgf (according to the news about FC-31 which use the same engines as JF-17)while JAS-39 C/D used RM-12, is 8214 kgf.

If the two take the same payload of 3,000 kg, then the T/W ratio for JF-17 Block I is 0.92, while JAS-39 C/D is 0.84, so there is a huge gap as JF-17 will win in a dogfight for sure.

DISCUSSION THREAD: NIGERIAN AIRFORCE 2016 PROCUREMENT PLAN DETAILS THE ACQUISITION OF JF17 THUNDER/FC-1 MULTIROLE JETS, SUPER MUKSHAK TRAINER AIRCRAFT AND MI-35M ATTACK HELICOPTERS

JF17 THUNDER/FC-1 XIAOLONG

HERE IS HOW THE BASELINE JF17 THUNDER/FC-1 STACKS UP
AGAINST THE GRIPEN

View post on imgur.com

Super Mukshak

Mi-35M

The applicable numbers detailed for acquisition in the 2016 tranche are as follows

– 10 units of Super Mukshak trainer aircraft

– 2 units of Mi-35M attack helicopters

– 3 units of JF17 Thunder multirole combat jets

POINTS TO PONDER

* This startup haul of JF17 Block 2 jets is almost certainly a precursor to the main haul of JF17 Block 3

* What are the possible ancillary roles for the Super Mukshak?

*.Nigeria penned a deal for a mixed haul of Mi-35M and Mi-171Sh Terminator helicopters with the Russians in Sept 2014. Does this mark the start of those deliveries or is this a follow-on order?

POSTSCRIPT

Gentlemen, please stay on THE TOPIC. Any “off topic” beelines are liable to being deleted. The propensity towards the derailment of threads has reached an unacceptable all-time high. No politicking please…