Desert warfare-adapted Toyota Landcruiser gun-trucks of the Nigerian Army
PHOTO CREDIT: THISDAY
A Nigerian Army desert warfare crew and Landcruiser gun-truck armed with a Browning M2 12.7mm calibre heavy machine gun in Mali
Nigerian troops dressed up in desert camouflage and 4WD trucks painted in desert camouflage scheme
PHOTO CREDIT: HOPE FOR NIGERIA
Logo of the Nigerian Army Desert Force
Beegeagle's Blog 
Loving the .50 cal-armed Landcruiser trucks, gentlemen. We could mount 60mm mortars and 107mm RCLs on some more units – like the M40 106RR which used to be seen on Land Rover vehicles back in the day.
Almost rubbed my eyes in disbelief until I saw the lead vehicle with the high canopy – one of those Mitsubishi Fuso/Isuzu/Dong Feng 3-ton gun-trucks which we saw during the roll out for Mali operations and which the QRG have on the Lokoja-Okene stretch of federal highway.
Very nice-looking, neat and task-specific stuff. Good one from the NA.
ELSEWHERE, BEEGEAGLE WROTE:
Again, in our Far North(such as Baga) and in the Sahelian and desert areas of Chad, Niger, Sudan and Mali, what they use is TOYOTA LANDCRUISER…not Toyota Hilux, not Ford Ranger, not Mitsubishi 4WD.
So without having to break the bank, the FG need to quietly seek out one decent Belgian or Dutch used car dealer to ship in 125 units of ‘tokunbo’ Toyota Landcruiser 4WD for use by our MICEMA contingent at a cost of US$1m.
Note the air cleaner/fume extractor which helps in the dust storms of the desert. We need to get this right. Remember how we took non-tropicalised MOWAG APCs to Darfur and they malfunctioned? That was a PKO, this is PEACE ENFORCEMENT, read WAR.
Any slip-ups on this one..in the open Sahara and you are donner witte. Presumably, we learnt some lessons about going into combat without the necessary materiel – Niger Delta, ECOMOG.
ELSEWHERE IN JANUARY 2012, BEEGEAGLE WROTE:
Well, we have been saying that soon enough we shall see BH insurgents mounting cross-border attacks in Toyota 4WDs armed with 107mm RCLs and ZPU-2 14.5mm HMGs.
We need to prepare for these guys are indifferent enough to do just that, if only to hug the headlines – something which thrills them to no end. We need to plan towards forestalling that.
Chadians love attacks in 4WDs mounted with Type 63 107mm MRLs, similar calibre RCLs and 12.7mm/14.5mm/23mm AAGs. Remember that the 1980s war with Libya in the Aouzou Strip was dubbed the “Toyota War?”. Does anyone remember the invasion(Feb 2008?) of Ndjamena by rebels who stormed the city in a convoy of 300 Toyota gun-trucks launched from inside Sudan?
Are we preparing for that prospect as insurgents go looting banks and now probably have millions of dollars to spend on cheap arms? Are we preparing to ward off that kind of onslaught? We should be mounting 107mm MRLs and 23mm cannons on some Toyotas as preemptive measures since the Otokar Cobra and Panhard VBLs are not armed with anything as destructive as those.
We mean every word of the foregoing. We should prepare for that prospect which seems like a distinct possibility for the very near future. They know what they do not have in their arsenal, know what would optimize their chances against Nigerian troops and are almost certainly working towards that after the major setbacks which they suffered in Damaturu and Potiskum.
Has anyone thought about the possibility or catastrophic impact of an invading convoy of just 25 Toyota gun-trucks setting out from inside Niger Republic at midnight and arriving in Kano at 0500 hrs, suicide bombers in tow, IEDs and grenades being flung in all directions while 107mm MRLs let go salvo after salvo in fully built-up areas?
Given the element of surprise entailed, what would our response be from the perspective of quick reaction and commensurate firepower with mobility entailed? To drive home the point that these guys have no intentions of talking to anybody, watch and see whether these indiscriminate attacks do not continue.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/17/nigerian-army-strikes-out-at-boko-haram-in-northeast/
Oga Beeg when you broke the news earlier this year, that the NA had procured special vehicles adapted to desert warfare, some of us told you that those wehicles would likely be Toyota Landcrusiers. You were vehement in your claims that the vehicles were more likely to be MRAPs.
Toh…these pictures are our vindication.
I recall that discussion in totality and it was for good reason, OriginalPato.
ELSEWHERE, BEEGEAGLE WROTE:
excerpts
“Let us see how it goes, OriginalPato. But an army which has acquired/received from state govts, thousands of Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi and Ford Ranger 4WD vans would not go so dramatic about Toyota LandCruiser. We have hundreds of those on PSOs in Darfur and Liberia and on MJTF duties at Baga. Freeegulf knows that as well. ”
Moving on, do we still remember that in tandem with the 3-ton Dong Feng/Mitsubishi/Isuzu gun-trucks with its forward-facing rotary gunport, the NA had 50 of her estimated 500 units of Pinzgauer utility vehicles uparmoured and upgunned for Mali operations…alongside 17 units converted to Stallion Surveillance Vehicles by NA Signals?
I have seen a photo of the driver’s cabin of the Stallion SV but not any of the upgunned battle wagons. Thanks to CCTV footage, I can say authoritatively that we have seen Otokar Cobra and Panhard Sagaie armoured vehicles in Mali.
While waiting to board a flight from Charlotte to Atlanta sometime last year, I noticed a small number of US Soldiers were also waiting to board the same flight.
I was immediately fascinated by their youthfulness and nice camouflage . They looked like boys and girls to me. I even suspected they were cadets.
My first surprise came when the flight was about to board. The announcer made it clear that men and women of the US army should step forward and board first the plane first. This was gahead of passengers on the first class compartment .
When we had all boarded the flight, the pilot then announced that the airline was happy and privileged to be flying with men of the US army and welcome them specially on board.
When we landed in Atlanta, the pilot announced again and thanked the men of the US army for flying with United Airlines and this time everyone on the plane went into a round of applause, clapping for almost a minute. I had to join in clapping for the US soldiers.
This is how much America values the men and women, battling insurgents in other to protect the home land.
Today lets offer prayers and applaud the men and women battling insurgents from Bayelsa to Nassarawa , from Borno to Yobe, from Katsina to Kano. Staying awake for us to sleep. taking the battle to the enemies so we can live a normal life.
These are the real men with balls. Not the cowards that attacks defenseless people and scurry away to hide.
AMEN to that, my friend. “They who dwell in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”
May the Lord grant that their hands always be upon the necks of their very evil and misguided enemies
DESERT WARFARE SIMULATION/FIELD TRAINING MODULE FOR CADETS OF THE NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY
****Breaking news****
Un-confirmed reports say the nigerian military has deployed between 4000-10000 troops for “operation lighting strike” in the north east. As troops around the borders with benin republic are at a heightened state of alert.
P.S, I just coined the mission name, since no name has been given to the operation yet.
Oga Henry! Na so d action sweet you reach? 🙂 Make it up as you go along…OP LIGHTNING STRIKE! Funky.
Hmn, I really like the seating arrangement in the gun-trucks – Landcruiser and 3-tonners alike. Makes for easy egress.
Looks like the configuration is undertaken done by NA Engineers. The gunport I see in the first photo – complete with the gun-shield indicates that they tried to replicate the gunport-gunshield arrangement which we see on JTF gunboats and on Otokar Cobra and Panhard VBL armoured vehicles.
User-friendly from the point of view of gunner protection, crew egress and comfort(ventilation).
Like I said earlier on, let us have 107mm RCLs, 60mm mortars and possibly, ZU-23-2 twin 23mm cannons mounted on some of them. That would make half a Shilka SPAAG 🙂 which did wonders for us as an infantry support weapon system during the 1990-2000 ECOMOG expeditions in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Boko Haram yab..wey dem na? Even the NPFL+RUF and their professional soldier/mercenary allies fought back.
Oga henry, u too much, the name makes sence. Gen beeg, pls were did we get the alpha jet that are currently deployed to the north-east,i thought we only refurbished four and that they deployed in niger republic.pls your responce would be highly appreciated.
Sorry my bros.i know dis isnt a medical blog but pls i need sme help wit my GAD and ocd.i assume dat guys on dis block are allrounders.so anyone wit an experience of dis.pls hala so we can hook up on whatsapp.abeg guys.i need advice.i still be student.
I have no idea what a GAD or an OCD are. However, I’d advise you try nairaland.
OCD: Obsessive compulsive disorder. GAD: Generalized anxiety disorder.
Omo, Go see doctor. Get a prescription for some good anxiolytics. Ambien, alprazolam etc,
And you go dey all set.
*24hour curfew imposed on 12 wards in maduguiri
* 10 insurgents are killed in a gun battle with troops today, RPG’s and ak-47’s seized
* 65 insurgents arrested at the borders
Nigeria’s military on Saturday imposed a 24-hour curfew in parts of a northeastern city as it pressed on with a campaign against Boko Haram Islamists that has sent residents fleeing the region.
Locals in a remote insurgent stronghold near the border with Cameroon have begun fleeing their homes after military fighter jets and helicopters carried out air strikes on Islamist camps.
Nigeria launched the sweeping operation against Boko Haram this week, deploying several thousand troops across three states where President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency after the Islamists seized territory and chased out the government.
The group, which has said it is fighting to create an Islamic Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north, has carried out scores of attacks in recent years, and has become emboldened and better armed in recent months.
The military said dozens of insurgents have been killed in the offensive targeting all three states put under emergency decree, including Adamawa and Yobe, but Boko Haram’s traditional base of Borno is expected to see the most bloodshed.
Borno state military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa in a statement listed 12 neighbourhoods in the city of Maiduguri where a “24-hour curfew” was being imposed.
In a separate release, the military said it had arrested 65 suspected Boko Haram members who were trying to enter Maiduguri after fleeing aerial bombardments elsewhere.
In the Marte district of Borno, some residents were fleeing east towards a town on the Cameroon border, 42 kilometres away (26 miles).
“It has been scary in the past three days,” said Buba Yawuri, whose home is in the town of Kwalaram in Marte but who has fled to the border town Gomboru Ngala.
“Fighter jets and helicopters kept hovering in the sky and we kept hearing huge explosions from afar,” he told AFP.
He said that as the air assaults began, the security forces told all residents to stay indoors, cutting off his family’s access to food and water.
“I couldn’t hold on any longer. I took the bush path” and reached Gomboru Ngala early Saturday, he said.
Shafi’u Breima, a resident of Gomboru Ngala, told AFP that the border town is receiving a continuous flow of people arriving from Marte and neighbouring areas.
The phone network in Borno state has all but collapsed since the emergency measures were imposed but residents in Gomboru Ngala use phone services from Cameroon and have been sporadically reachable.
The remote, thinly populated region has porous borders where criminal groups and weapons have flowed freely for years.
The military has sealed previously unguarded crossings to block Boko Haram fighters from fleeing during the offensive.
The military campaign could prove to be the biggest ever against Boko Haram and is believed to be the first time Nigeria has carried out air strikes within its own territory in more than 25 years.
Aerial support was believed to have been used against rioters in the north in the early 1980s.
Many have warned that there is a risk of high civilian deaths and Nigeria’s military has been accused of massive rights violations in the past, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that he was “deeply concerned about the fighting in northeastern Nigeria” and urged the security forces to “apply disciplined use of force in all operations.”
There are also doubts as to whether the insurgency can be crushed by force, amid concern that the militants will scatter and re-emerge when the offensive eases.
Nigeria has been urged by various camps to tackle the root social causes of the conflict, including acute poverty and excessive government corruption which has helped radicalise many young Muslims in the north.
The conflict is estimated to have cost 3,600 lives since 2009, including killings by the security forces.
Oga Beeg, those are the much talked about desert vehicles?…….hmmm…okay oh..
From the perspective of gun-trucks and uparmoured battle vehicles, the NA have responded well for desert warfare preparations with the said fifty units of uparmoured Pinzgauer and these Landcruiser gun-trucks.
What is left now is to reach out to the SANDF who have many hundreds of Casspir MRAPs in storage and buy off 200 units from them while placing an order for 100 brand-new units of GILA MRAP. It would probably not cost us more that US$75 million in total to grab that haul of Casspir and GILA MRAPs, inclusive of upgradation.
Those would greatly boost our COIN and desert warfare capabilities. Let’s get started on that already. We need them like LIFE itself.
i still pray our troops will abide by their rules of engagement. cos i don’t want what happened in 2009 to repeat itself again. where these guys won a lot of sympathy and support because the locals their saw what they did.
NA is just awesome. Always ready. Always adapting.
Sorry bro, but NA has is actually never ready.
Not even for the foreseen challenges we are facing today.
TELL HIM MY BROTHER
STATE OF EMERGENCY SITREP AS OF 17 MAY 2013
Situation Friendly Forces
• NSF forces number 3,600 comprising Army, Navy, NAF, NPF, DSS
• NAF has carried out air strikes against en training camps in MAFA, MARTE and GAMBURU/ NGALA
• NAF aircraft reported to have been hit by anti aircraft fire during attacks on en positions in SAMBISA GAME RESERVE
• Troops of the Special Task Force STF reported to be clearing through the forests of the SAMBISA GAME RESERVE towards en positions supported, no friendly cas reported
• Previously unmanned border posts at MAFA, MARTE, GOMBORU/ NGALA manned by NSF
Situation Enemy Forces
• En reported to have sustained 20-35 KIA in attacks upon training camps
• En reported to be using Anti aircraft weapons and anti tank weapons
• En vehicles, weapons, fuel, and generators reported destroyed
• Brigadier Chris OLUKOLADE reports ‘special operations’ to destroy en heavy weapons preceded the offensive in SAMBISA
• En forces attacked DAURA, KATSINA STATE at approx 2130 16 MAY:
o DAURA LGA Secretariat, 4 banks, a Divisional police station, SABON GARI police station and Area Command police station were attacked
o En attacked in a convoy of 6 vehicles including 3 x Toyota Hilux
o Troops from 35 Battalion, 3 Brigade NA responded with fighting extending to DUTSI on the MANI Road
o 2 -3 x NA KIA, 2 x NA WIA unknown, 6 x NPF KIA (unconfirmed), 1 x NPF WIA, 2 x civpop killed.
o 4-5 x en KIA, 4 x en captured, en WIA unknown
o 2 of the en KIA were killed in the fire fight the 3 others in a road traffic accident subsequent to the op.
o 2 x en vehicle (VW Golf), IEDs and 11 x AK 47, 73 mags, 275 x 7.62mm rounds (presumed AK), 118 x 7.62mm NATO rounds, 141 x 9mm rounds, 1 x smoke/ tear gas gun captured.
o Some of the stolen cash was recovered in the captured vehicles.
o NSF have cordoned off 3 areas in the city in order to conduct house to house searches for wounded insurgents with citizens in BAURE, SANDAMU, MASHI and DUTSI LGAs warned to report any suspicious movements
Situation External Forces
• Maj Gen Garba WAHAB reports Nigerien security agencies cooperating with NSF
• US Secretary of State John Kerry has released a statement expressing concern about ‘credible allegations that Nigerian Security forces are committing gross human rights violations…. condemns Boko Haram’s campaign of terror in the strongest terms….. urges Nigeria’s armed forces to show restraint and discipline.’
• PotFRN briefs the Vice Prime Minster of CAMEROUN. Ahmadou ALI on the declaration of the state of emergency in NE NIGERIA. CAMEROUN President Paul BIYA to attend summit on security and maritime safety in the Gulf of Guinea, no reported reciprocal mobilisation
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman states Boko Haram could be found guilty of crimes against humanity for their attacks against the civilian population
Analysis:
Daura: the attack on Daura was in likelihood pre planned, the attackers apparently had the knowledge and foresight to switch off the security lights and knew which banks had money. The key questions in this are how much of this is terrorism and how much is criminality? However it shows that the trend previously identified of large scale attacks by mounted insurgents supported by heavy weapons against built up areas is well and truly established. It also neatly dovetails with the theory that BH and others main effort right now is fundraising, whether his is mainly for normal expenditure, or to pay for terrorist ops or to build up a treasure chest for the upcoming elections is to be seen. However the destruction of their safe areas will have an impact on the enemy’s ability to continue to mount this type of ops but it is likely they will still continue to occur with a certain regularity.
Sambisa: reading reports it would appear that operations in Sambisa followed a conventional combined arms trend. In order to destroy en training camps these would have had to have been pinpointed and identified. I would speculate that the plan involved identifying likely enemy locations from previous actions along with a combination of satellite and aerial imagery, matched against information from local hunters and trackers and then further narrowed down with the insertion of special forces recce units who identified encampments and fuel dumps and have subsequently called in air strikes, this is the only logical way air strikes could be called in with such rapid battle damage assessments against a light, mobile force. Note the words of Brigadier Olukolade about special operations destroying enemy materiel and supplies beforehand thus shaping the battlespace for the follow up clearance ops by the line infantry. Note also statements such as those higher casualties were inflicted amongst those close to the borders with Cameroun, again possibly indicating the use of SF stopper groups to ambush and cut off fleeing insurgents.
This is a classic use of SF and strike aircraft and if accurate shows another evolution in Nigeria’s military professionalism.
Foreign affairs: The diplomatic efforts so far seem to have encompassed Niger and Cameroun, however these should really have happened way before the offensive took place. Without a reciprocal mobilisation, many insurgents will escape. Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts should be bluntly honest with the neighbouring states. Either they seal the borders or they will be dealing with the Boko Haram problem themselves. The messaging from the US and UN demonstrates the typically disjointed approach to Nigeria by western powers and the typically disjointed response. On one hand we do not need foreign powers for anything be it diplomatic cover, intelligence or training assistance beyond what we are already paying for. On the other hand it helps to have at least consistent support or messaging across the board. Hopefully for subsequent phases of this operation the FGN will have a simultaneous diplomatic and media offensive
I am reading the last paragraph about
“Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts should be bluntly honest with the neighbouring states. Either they seal the borders or they will be dealing with the Boko Haram problem ”
I am looking also about the call up of even More troops by some speculative estimates (4000-10000) according to OGA Henry. I have a question that i want to pose
If there is no visible troop build up along the Cameroon side are they saying / infering that Nigerian S.F. can penetrate? or they Cameroon do not have the capabilities to take b.h head on? because I don’t in this case provided diplomatic /, legal international law is followed Nigerian S.F are obligated to pursue across the border especially in the mountainous area.As you clearly stated S.F. are already at the borders both marked and unmarked is this about to spill over. Ironically we can trust CHAD and Niger now just like Mali we ask W.W.C.D.? ( What will Cameroon do ?)
Since you OGA’s what to be economical and diplomatic with the truth, someone just has to say what is really in our minds. I guess that someone is me.
The army disappointed us, specifically the bloggers on beegeagle’s blog, with this purchase. They raised our hopes high, and then smashed it to pieces. When the announcement was made that the army had procured 35 desert terrain vehicles for COIN operations in mali, we all had hoped that the purchases were MRAP’s.
Fine, they are fitted with 50 CALs & 12.7mm HMG’s, but we had our hearts set on armoured personnel carriers, not another round of soft skinned pick up trucks.
These trucks are also in use in darfur (UNMAID), so why the army gave a press conference for trucks they have been using in darfur for a while, is clearly beyond me. Except if the army was really referring to MRAPs and these soft skins.
These trucks in darfur are armed with GPMG’s, so nothing new here.
This is the ugly truth.
Tellem Bruh .
i’m not really sure the landcruisers are the 35 vehicles being talked about.
These are some of the specially reconfigured 3-ton gun-trucks seen here during the January 2013 departure for Mali from the Kaduna Airport.
Not the similar seating arrangement and the forward-facing gunport with an elevated swivel chair such that the gunner shots from above the driver’s cabin
Take note of the forward-facing soldiers seated higher than everyone else in the leading and middle vehicles. Those are the gunners.
These vehicles are not painted in desert camo though so that might just be deployed for urban operations.
On another note, I have to say that the FG and state governments have absolutely turned around the mobility issues of the security forces. The military have also fared better on that note but we cannot help but notice that across the entire federation, the era of rickety police vehicles(remember those dead Peugeot 504 cars suffering from wheel balancing and alignment issues of yesteryears) such as would have been the case a decade ago, has become HISTORY.
Everywhere you turn, you see thousands and thousands of GLEAMING and in-form 4WD patrol vans and 3-ton trucks belonging the military, paramilitary and police services on the move. The most popular brands – Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi and Mazda. No part of the federation has been left out of the boon and more are getting delivered ever so often. Imagine that the rice importers association during Q1 2013 gave 150 4WD vans free of charge to the Customs Service alone. It truly gladdens the heart that we have got that one facet RIGHT.
If only a quarter of that level of commitment can be put into the acquisition of MRAPs for the military, morale would be skyhigh. Let’s think about that.
At the risk of being a killjoy, i’ll say this – I am totally disappointed with MoD and the Army top brass responsible for this purchase. Is this the best we can up with?! Haba!!
Yes the old Toyota landcruiser has seen a lot of action and performed well during the Pickup Wars of the 80s btw Libya and Chad. But equipping our boys with these vintage is just WRONG! What the hell happened to Landrover WMIKs and G-Wagons (the army uses those)? What of modified Russian Gaz Tigre Vehicles or even Chinese Dongfeng EQ2050, or Benz Unimogs? What of our own Pinzgauers All Terrain Vehicles, and Fast Assault Vehicles (FAVs)? Lawd, I’m so pissed right now >( . This is the 21st Century, for Christ sake!
In this ongoing Ops, our troops will face a lot of dangers, particularly IEDs, yet the top brass and other dimwits at MoD failed to purchase much needed MRAPs. This is why I keep saying that the Nigeria Police Force is WAAY ahead of the Army in equipment procurement. While the army procures copies of the old Type-56 assault rifle, the Police had already adopted the K-2, FN-FNC, and later the better Type-56-2 assault rifles. Same issue with body armour, and now vehicles. Seriously, what the hell is going on?
We are probably extrapolating. The Army have bought hundreds of Hilux and LandRover in batches and that was not announced. Why would they announce the procurement of 35 Landcruisers? The middle photo from Mali had already been shot at the time…that is a Landcruiser and those were not part of the 35 units, assuming that they were Landcruiser gun-trucks. My guess is that they were not since Landcruiser gun-trucks were already in Mali..ditto 3-ton gun-trucks and that was unannounced.
As for the vintage, Ocelot2006, that is precise vintage of Landcruiser which nearly all UN agencies and embassies use in Nigeria as we speak. Look very closely here then look again to the streets.
They are building a desert force from the bottom up and there is no way that these would not be part of that array – same way the Americans use uparmoured HMVVs alongside MRAPs. The Brits also used uparmoured LandRover and Pinzgauer vehicles alongside MRAPs.
The point is this – they have started to build a cohesive structure that is all-inclusive – Landcruiser gun-trucks, uparmoured Pinzgauer gun-trucks. There is nothing to suggest that the Oshkosh SandCat mine-protected LPVs and MRAPs would not join the array.
The highest priority acquisition for the NA at this time are MRAPs. Obix3000 even posted a news report to that effect a while ago. MoD only need to fast track the process.
Lemme add that none of the Landcruiser jeeps in Darfur or Liberia are, to my knowledge, properly configured gun-trucks. The gunner, sans a gunport and gunshield, just stands up and carried a GPMG, suggesting that mobility and adaptability to the environment were the key reasons behind their deployment rather than the creation of a fighting vehicle.
That is different from what we have here in the first two photos. These are purpose-built gun-trucks.
Again, these REMAIN indispensible assets for even if a Casspir MRAP carries two .50 cal HMGs and has eight firing ports for use, these Landcruiser gun-trucks can make up for the protection issues by carrying disproportionately heavy firepower such as can save it and the Casspir if fielded intelligently. Have you ever seen a Landcruiser ‘technical’ with a 12-cell 107mm MRL? That would pull an armoured column through on a good day!
The MRAP for mine and ambush protection is an indispensible life-saver in CTCOIN but to believe that the Landcruiser gun-truck does not have a role in desert warfare probably amounts to a bit of a stretch. Its mobility(agility) and the versatile panoply which can be mounted on it(not so for a MRAP) means that it is never going to be displaced in urban and desert warfare.
As we speak, the French have technicals operating alongside Panhard VBL and VAB armoured vehicles. Their Chadian helpers arrived with an array which featured, the Landcruiser, Black Scorpion FAV(substitute that for our uparmoured Pinzgauer) and the RAM-2000 LAV(substitute that for our Panhard VBL). What they did not bring to the battle was MRAPs and that is the gap which we also need to fill for our CTCOIN and desert operations.
Oga Beeg, I’m afraid I disagree. Yes I’ve seen just one of these Toyota landcruisers used by Doctors San Frontiers in Taraba, but NGOs equally use more modern vehicles. What stopped us from picking up and modifying Landrovers with 50cal and GPMGs? I’ve seen these vehicles being used in the harsh terrains up the mountain wall in Mambilla, along with old Army Pinzgauer used by fuel smugglers. Even the new Toyota Hilux would’ve been OK as I’ve personally used one from Jalingo to the Mambilla mountain, and to stations located in remote settlements like Mayo Ndaga and Dakka up north. If the Latvians can modify the Toyota Hilux for military ops in Afghanistan, I don’t see why we can’t. Purchasing these vehicles is just wrong.
I also have an issue with the current gun trucks being used. Yes the design makes perfect sense, the Izuzu truck used was a bad choice. What the hell happened to the more rugged Unimog or even the Pinzgauer? And these trucks just have a single GPMG mounted just behind the driver’s cabin, instead of heavier 50cal MG.
Anyway, the military needs to do more to fasttrack the delivery of the MRAPs cos these vehicles just won’t do.
My brother Ocelot, right around Nigeria – whether it be NGO, embassy or UN agency, the most popular variant of Landcruiser is THIS and in WHITE colour
That is what the NA have based their efforts on. You do not need a Hilux, however configured, in precincts where you have haboobs. That air cleaner which makes the Landcruiser the top pick for desert ops, keeps the dust out lest the engine chokes on dust and stalls in the middle of nowhere.
Afghanistan use an uparmoured Ford Ranger from Thailand which they land for about $40,000 each. I do not know it to be any better than Hilux sans the armouring.
The UNIMOG is also a 3-tonner. That and all the Isuzu and Mitsubishi Fuso, for me, are just intended for urban patrols and not the agility which the Landcruiser brings to desert operations.
The NA have started by uparmouring and upgunning 50 of their Pinzgauers. So they cannot be faulted on that.
For me, the Landcruiser gun-truck, uparmoured Pinzgauer, Otokar Cobra/Panhard VBL and the Casspir/GILA is the complete desert warfare/CTCOIN array. We have scaled three of the four rungs of that ladder.
Read my second post again. There is no way, as a battlefield commander, that the agile and versatile Landcruiser would fail to feature in my CTCOIN/desert warfare array. That does not preclude the fact that there are other vehicle types which must be included in that array. The Landcruiser is a must for its agility and diversity of weapon systems which it can carry – unmatched on that score while the MRAP is unavoidable for its mine and ambush resistance capability.
For me,one could set off a convoy with a Casspir MRAP leading followed by three uparmoured Pinzgauer ferrying troops, two Landcruisers each carrying a 107mm RCL and twin 23mm cannons, followed by two lorries laden with supplies and another Landcruiser with an 81mm mortar, another 3 uparmoured Pinzgauer bearing troops, two Otokar Cobra APCs,three Casspir MRAPs while a Landcruiser-borne 107mm MRL brings up the rear. So you see what the Landcruiser gun-trucks would do for me in that near-impregnable convoy. That is why I won’t let go regardless.
AGILITY+VERSATILITY without prejudice to the MRAP
FRENCH GUN-TRUCKS IN MALI
Chadian array
Chadian troops in ‘technicals’ and Belgian-made(Carat) Black Scorpion Fast Attack Vehicles
12.7mm HMG fore and a mortar aft
RCL-armed
MRL-armed
AAG-armed
107mm MRL
Notice how popular the NA’s particular brand of Landcruiser is as far as motorised weapon systems go? Moving on, I am sure that infantrymen in a MRAP would not mind covering fire from a ground-based mortar or rocket artillery crew. Moreso, motorised mortars and rocket arty. Any MRAP crew would love to be surrounded by these well-armed sprinters. They only need to travel in packs and in the shadow of the MRAP..not that what they bring to a battle has ever been in doubt.
It is a story of interdependence on the battlefield. Individually, they are vulnerable to varying degrees. Together as part of a complete and self-sustaining array, they make for a formidable battlegroup
Oga beeg, as usual you always make a convincing case. on this particular issue though I disagree with you, as the army flunked this one big time.
To be honest their is nothing wrong with using these pick up trucks for the army. However the theatre of combat, should first and foremost be taken into consideration. Let’s take the mexicans for example, the mexicans(marines, army, police) ditched their humvees in favour of pick-up trucks. The sort of day to day operations personnel got engaged in, required a light, fast and manoeuvrable vehicle. It made sense to ditch the bulky, armoured humvees for the pick up trucks as they did not face IED’s or bomb attacks, just firearms attacks.
For us in nigeria, the enemy has perfected the act of making IED’s , they also got AA guns which they could use on troops. This past week in kabul, afghanistan, a vehicle laden with explosives ripped to shreds, sending a heavily armoured suburban flying in the air like kites, killing six americans in the process. Now we are talking about a heavily armoured car here. Just imagine the same scenario, but this time with these nigerian army skinny’s.
I know for sure that our pinzgauers would be used in the SOe against boko haram. We all saw the modifications nigerian army engineers made on those things, which is great and worthy of commendation. However, the problem have always been that the numbers are always too little to few. 10 hilux pickups to 1 cobra. Very terrible ratio.
Why don’t we just get the AFV’s proforce defence makes for our troops, instead of all this pick up trucks all the time. We know that the AFV’s would provide the troops ballistic protection. This one, they are all exposed to enemy fire.
For me, the army goofed. Except if truly they did go out and procure armoured personnel carriers. See their is no evidence at the moment to suggest the latter is the case, it is imperative that we get our acts together.
* france is a military power, comparing them to nigeria would not be fair.
That been said, pictured in the first photo are members of french special forces. It’s not like, it’s the norm. Still on the french, what is the ratio of those trucks to MRAPS/ armoured vehicle in the french army? My guess would be 1/ 100 in favour of the MRAPs.
A bit closer to home, compare to the ugandans or kenyans or the nigerian police? What would be the ratio?
That is another point entirely. I have said that operationally, the ratio between APC/MRAP and 4WD truck is too wide. It needs to be bridged. If numbers be the issue, I prescribed 200 Casspir and 100 GILA for a start. I do not go piecemeal either and never have.
But we are not only talking IEDs here, we are also talking desert warfare. My first post above in which the precise Landcruiser the NA, like the Libyans and Chadians have used, came to mind for many reasons – tailormade for desert ops, mobility and versatility.
The nature of desert warfare, perhaps on account of the space involved, is such that barrages and duels are typically entailed…from Darfur to Chad, Libya to Mali. People spray 23mm cannon fire like they are mere rifles and lay down rocket arty fire for area saturation.
Without these gun-trucks in support, what would a mighty Casspir or whichever MRAP do to save itself? MRAP does not mean that it can stop 23mm ammo from penetrating. Or would you rather leave it exposed to a direct hit by a 106RR or 107mm rockets? My man, even frigates have escort vessels in tow. It is probably for reasons of flanking maneouvres while cumbersome APCs surge forward, that the French are using nimble gun-trucks alongside VABs and VBCIs in Mali as we speak.
My point is that this variant of Landcruiser which I specifically used as example over fifteen months ago, is as good as it gets for ruggedness and fuel efficiency. When the USA presented 33 4WDs to the Malians in 2011, it was the same brand which they bought. It needs no introduction and is the most widely fielded Landcruiser as we speak. That is as far as the vehicle is concerned.
As for the desirability thereof, it is absolutely not in doubt. It is an integral part of the array…same way that one cannot say he has a very solid flak jacket and as such does not need a rifle or that his rifle can shoot its way through a stampede and as such, he does not need a flak jacket. Both are are integral to his kit. That is how I see the gun-truck and the MRAP, none to the exclusion of the other.
The evidence of what we have seen of this conflict suggests that BH prey on the vulnerability of soft-skinned vehicles. So we undoubtedly need MRAPs aplenty. But if we also get them and forget to have them arrayed in a defensive way, with Landcruisers carrying an assortment of potent weapons to support the MRAPs, BH are simply going to look for 23mm cannons and begin to perforate the armour on the MRAPs. They would not try that when three MRAPs on the move have two technicals – one carrying an 81mm mortar and the other bearing a 107mm MRL travelling with them. They would be dead before the set their 23mm cannon’s sights on the MRAP.
The total array of LandCruiser gun-trucks armed with an appropriate panoply, uparmoured Pinzgauer ATVs, scout cars/protected patrol vehicles(which is where the Proforce APVs come in) and MRAPs is what would make for a formidable battlegroup. MRAPs by themselves would sooner become vulnerable as insurgents review their tactics. That is my point. So I say, let us grab the entire array..not just MRAPs.
Word enough..
haba generals, why will the army announce the acquisition of 35 toyota landcruise? the army have had 4WD vehicles, including these same toyota for a while now.
as for COIN, MRAPs re needed, so also these utilitarian toyata landcruiser and other upgunned trucks: tactics and skillful use.
my grouse with NA is the slow pace of weapons acquisitions. they need to fast track their buying order. another headache is the lack of firepower appreciation by the high command. 50cal on these gun trucks is a step in the right direction. but it should not halt there. a wide array of weapons kit that can be installed on these platforms, they will go a long way in winning battles. whether manoeuvres during attack or defence in depth, give me firepower over manpower any day.
Oga freegulf, the army did announce the purchase of these 35 vehicles just after we deployed troops to Mali. And pls keep in mind that prior to this the army owned a variety of vehicles including the landrover, Toyota hilux, Ford Ranger, Mahindra Maruti, and even the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon. But not these Toyota Landcruisers.
This reminds me of the good ole debate on the AK-47. ‘most reliable rifle in the world, but still a relic, hence the need to adopt more modern/upgraded variants like the AK-101, AK-L/49, etc.
Oga Beeg, I do not doubt the performance of this old Toyota landcruiser. As I mentioned in my previous post, the vehicle performed remarkably in previous conflicts e.g the Pickup Wars. But there are way better options in the market. Even the Chadians have adopted the Carat Black Scorpion FAV and ACMAT. Even the Ghanians we tend to bash (rightfully) seem to get it right with the use of the heavily armed Chinese Dongfeng. Yet we buy these for our boys? Haba, it’s fair at all.
Chad use the Black Scorpion ALONGSIDE the Landcruiser and RAM 2000.
We use the Landcruiser alongside the uparmoured Pinzgauer and the Panhard VBL/Otokar Cobra.
IF the Pinzgauer was uparmoured by the same firm who did that for the Brits, you realise that it is bound to be sterner than the Black Scorpion?
AGAIN, there were ALREADY Toyota Landcruiser gun-trucks with a different colour scheme(desert camo with a tinge of green and M2 HMGs) in Mali as of the time that the DAPR announced the acquisition of 35 desert terrain vehicles. They clearly belong to a different batch and it can be seen that the handle frames of those are angular. I cannot see the elaborate gunport/gunshield here. The weapon station is different.
MALI
A Nigerian Army desert warfare crew and Landcruiser gun-truck with armed with a Browning M2 12.7mm calibre heavy machine gun in Mali
It is clear that these were already in Mali at the time when the announcement of 35 desert terrain vehicles were made and as such, it is certainly not correct to say that the gun-trucks pictured below did not have any forerunners.
ABUJA
The ones pictured at Abuja are almost certainly armed with STK CIS-50 HMGs, the handle frames are rounded, the gunport is different and the desert camo has a tinge of rust.
The NA have been acquiring Landcruisers for longer than you have been taking note. Those have chiefly gone to UNAMID, UNMIL and MJTF contingents.
If they did not trumpet the acquisition of the maiden batch which were in Mali as of January, what was newsy about the second batch(supposedly 35 Landcruiser gun-trucks) to have warranted an official statement? The Oshkosh Sandcat has been on order for a while now. What if those have arrived? Again, THISDAY own this photo. They carried the story of the 35 desert terrain vehicles so how come it is that they did not use it as the photo caption? I suspect that the reason stemmed from the fact that the story(35 DTVs) and this photo(of Landcruiser gun-trucks) are unrelated.
Very well, I stand corrected on use of the Landcruiser long before the war in Mali. But in my honest opinion, I still feel this purchase is not right as there are more modern options in the market. Our men and women in uniform deserve better. Oh well, if the boys are happy with this, and it gets the job done, no wahala…
My brother, there are several routes to the same destination.
* Get the rugged, soft-skinned, cheaper but proven Landcruiser and convert to user-friendly gun-trucks.Job done.
* spend funds on the uparmoring and upgunning of abundantly available Pinzgauer ATVs – that substitutes the Black Scorpion
* go a notch higher by getting the mine-protected and anti-ballistic Oshkosh Sandcat Light Patrol Vehicle
* close the array by grabbing Casspir/GILA MRAPs
That is a plausible route which we are on – with the available and proven
Panhard VBL as a boon to that array
THE ALTERNATIVE
* Buy soft-skinned yet more expensive and less well-proven Chinese Hummer and have them converted to gun-trucks
* Buy Black Scorpion Fast Attack Vehicle
* Buy Casspir/GILA MRAPs
Of the two roadmaps, the first one delivers a more complete array of battle vehicles; is more resourceful because it optimizes in-service assets and to the extent that it is more lethal yet pocket-friendly, it could be easily seen as actionable.
Chinese Hummer, Landcruiser..soft-skinned. Landcruiser battle-tested and timeless. Also less likely to ‘rollover’ than the Chinese Hummer. So why not save money by taking on the cheaper and more durable option and free up funds for the acquisition of the highly desirable MRAP instead?
Better than spending anything more on the Dongfeng Chinese Hummer or anything which are NOT uparmoured and might not even be optimised for desert operations
My 2 kobo.
Ogas equipment is not my forte but my take is this
Vehicles are tools. In the ground warfare context they are used for combat or transport.
This is where the issue arises, a combat vehicle is either used for recce or fighting. Now since we are looking at wheeled vehicles lets address that.
in a conventional war transport takes place in echelon far behind the front, thus you can have soft skinned vehicles, in COIN combat is everywhere and the main threat is mines/ IEDs thus you need MRAPs. MRAPs are not fighting vehicles.
In this context of a clearance op in a COIN situation the question is what is best to use?
Again we have no idea at what stage of combat this footage is taken so we cannot say how they are being used.
As a claustrophobic light infantry man I prefer the landcruiser with mounted MG and 4 men sitting each side. The up side is there is good all round fire power, it is easy to deploy from and it has good speed, maintainability, cross country ability and fuel consumption. The downside is that it will not stop harsh language on a windy day. a mind or IED will destroy it, bullets will go through it and if it rolls all the guys in the back are at risk of being crushed.
The 4WD with tin roofs are next to useless for anything other than troop transport or light patrolling, to deploy will take at least 1-2 minutes, no top cover, difficult to point your weapon out.
Then MRAPs good for troop transport and against a lightly armed enemy can be used for fire support, but very heavy, drink fuel and take away your situational awareness f you are in the back.
As a final aside I notice a lack of electronic jammers in these vehicles, there are many commercial off the shelf variants and are a better tool than shutting down the entire mobile phone network.
I’m not sure what our electronic warfare capabilities are but we would be doing far better to leave the phones on and intercept communications
@Ocelot just as @peccavvi & @Beeg said the Landcruisers appropriately armed and with the right tactics are a veritable tool in the fight against BH. Mind you a large percentage of Borno and Yobe chiefly comprises of desert and the Landcruiser is the vehicle of choice for transportation.
I am disappointed at this approach soft vehicles and technicals are not the way to go if we value the lives of our military personnel its simple strategy.
We are dealing with suicide fighters normal rules of engagement don’t apply, I would expect technicals to be the exception not the rule. One suicide boko-haram fighter with an AK47 just has to let off a few seconds of automatic fire into one of those soft vehicles and it’ll be a miracle if we don’t suffer casualties. Of course he will sacrifice himself in the process but his objective will have been achieved.
Dont know the price for one of those toyotas but with a friendly diplomacy we could easily get 100 MRAPS from our increasingly friendly partner in the war against terrorism at very subsidised price from their stocks of surplus MRAPS from the Iraqi and Afghanistan adventures.
Alternatively we could buy brand new Gaz 2975 ‘Tigr’ for a mere $60k and with a bit of haggling maybe cheaper they are stanag 2/3 rated depending on configuration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAZ-2975
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/gaz-2330-tigr-light-armoured-vehicle/
We spend billions on a lot irrelevances a lot of the time, so lets give our boys the best protection and keep our casualty figures to the barest minimum please.
Meanwhile good hunting to our guys
Kenee2K. a GAZ Tigr which costs $60,000 probably has no seats, not to mention an engine.
Let them get 200 more Pinzgauer uparmoured and upgunned and thereafter plunge straight into the real MRAPs – the globally-proven Casspir and the GILA which is reputed to be a tad sterner..so much so that Casspir came out with a Mk.VI variant in a bid to regain its pole position.
Recommended – brand new assets
CASSPIR MK.6(late model variant)
GILA
Recommended – from surplus stocks(ready to roll)
Why doesn’t the Nigerian Army have any MRAPs? Or am I mistaken? Not doubting the doggedness and bravery of our forces but we would be more formidable if we had these
I like the GILA especially with the GUN PORTS and the presumably bullet proof windows
Both vehicles look extremely similar.
Who do I differentiate between the two? Dunno about the Casspir Mk.6 but the in-use Mk.3/Mk.4 have six windows while the GILA has ten windows.
Great vehicles. Absolutely formidable.
PINZGAUER VECTOR – uparmoured+upgunned
Photo Credit: Defence of the Realm
PINZGAUER PROTECTOR – uparmoured
Photo Credit: Airborne Combat Engineer
The nigerian pinzgauer trucks featured on NTA before troops departed for MALI, had monitors in them also.
Yeah, I know but I just did not get a good view of them.
Our cameramen do not appear to have any sense of what constitutes a magic moment. I cannot imagine how all vehicles on ground on that day would not have been photographed by yours truly IF I had been there. You recall how we brought a global first photo of the NN Bell Ranger helic when we went to see our SBS commandos? I was just as interested in the hot extraction simulation as I was in the helicopter and that was why we came away with a real scoop. We also captured photos of all boats – RBS Defender, NC 27 Night Cat and RibForce 7.8 Pro.
When the C-in-C launched hardware for the Police recently, I was thinking to myself that there was no way I would not have captured the three types of armoured vehicles and taken close-up shots of the five Bell 429 and two Bell 412 helics so inducted, looking out for details which define the mission such as miniguns amd FLIR devices.
Perhaps Beegeagle and Ken Iwelumo need to be given a chance to do something that stands out like our content as seen online.
For heaven’s sake, HOW would I get to Mali and not come back with the photos of all assets and variants on ground – Otokar, Pinzgauer, Sagaie, Landcruiser gun-trucks etc.
We need to be helped to tell this story in its fullest and most edifying dimension oooo!
We really need to get into Mali.
Sorry, i’ve been missing in action. Best friend’s wedding, et al. Since the argument is about the vulnerability of soft skins in theatre and the need to have two complimentary sys like the toyota gila that the gen is talking about, why not look at a sys that can address both issues; speed and amour, I’d agree with the tigr party (by d way, the gen is right, it’s about $200000 – 300000) but why are the russians who tend to by local place a firm order for 1000+ italian MLV (the type the british build under license as the panther)? If we go tigr way, we go tigr m. As 4 the good old piz, the have a bad record against IEDs in Afghanistan (even the uparmoured one) hence the Brits, Norwegian etc going for the panther.
Sorry, i’ve been missing in action. Best friend’s wedding, et al. Since the argument is about the vulnerability of soft skins in theatre and the need to have two complimentary sys like the toyota gila that the gen is talking about, why not look at a sys that can address both issues; speed and amour, I’d agree with the tigr party (by d way, the gen is right, it’s about $200000 – 300000) but why are the russians who tend to by local place a firm order for 1000+ italian MLV (the type the british build under license as the panther)? If we go tigr way, we go tigr m. As 4 the good old pinz, the have a bad record against IEDs in Afghanistan (even the uparmoured one) hence the Brits, Norwegian etc going for the panther. Nice pics. Jst love the look of the mk 6
The GILA is well proven but not sure about the cost, I’m sure with a bit of African to African diplomacy a good deal could be cut. Furthermore add FLIR to the remote gun turrets and that would enhance our night fighting capability, which in my opinion will be the game changer in flushing out Boko -haram fighters in this operation.
The GAZ ‘Tigr’ comes with ten seats, and is stanag rated to level 3, there was a certain level of contention because its engine was sourced from the US Cummins B-180 5.9l, 180hp; Cummins B-214 5.9l, 215hp; That caused a certain level of Russian indignation the idea of using an American engine pricked the Russian pride, although there is now a Russian Gaz engine GAZ-562 3.2l, 197hp. But there is some speculation that the US sourced engine is much more reliable. It can also have a remote gun system with FLIR ,but with some considerable additional cost I would guess.
Costings remain around $60k with room for negotiation, I’m sure those soft skinned Toyotas will not be less than $35K, as a comparison and I’m sure our troops would agree if given the choice, what would you rather be in, when the bullets start flying, the ‘Tigr’ .
Any doubts about off road ability it whipped the Iveco Lynx (Panther UK) MRAP which has been adopted by a number of NATO member countries but cost about $250k per unit. Admittedly the lynx had better protection but not by a huge margin however that could easily be remedied by adaptive armour attachments depending on mission needs.
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/gaz-2330-tigr-light-armoured-vehicle/
Maybe I should look at procuring the vehicle for our military as it seems some think it’s too good to be true, what do you think, General Beeg.
@kennee2k
You want to donate it to the military?
Maybe I should do a bit of networking with the guys in Aso rock and make an informed concise pitch and get the contract to procure, or isn’t that realistic.
Field Marshal Beegeagle. HBD to you. I must commend your patriotic effort and all fellow bloggers. This is the blog I see constructive criticism of Nigeria affairs. There is big hope for this nation.
That is because until now, it has apparently not been a priority. Or they felt okay with the mine-and-blast protected Otokar Cobra APCs and Panhard VBL recce vehicles.
They did latch onto a dozen GILA MRAPs though, becoming the first export customer in the process. I would not know if that token was because they wanted to have a ‘feel’ of them first, before reaching out for more.
Otherwise, an army with dozens of mechanised and motorised infantry battalions, has no reason to be acquiring a dozen mainframe MRAPs which are not even the full complement required for ONE battalion.
@beegeagle. Judging From what we have discovered on this blog, i strongly belive that NA has taken delivery of more GILA vehicles probably up to arround 50 units, and that the first 12 was just for trial.
@ Oga Beeg,
You have mail from me.
Kenee2k, I doubt if u can get an operational tigr for $60k. The reason why the lynx is that expensive is the equipment like active defense system, remote gun system, battle management system etc. Of course the tigr will still be cheaper if similarly equipped but I think it’ll be in the region of 75% of the lynx especially if those add-ons are imported
Not all lynx or panthers are equipped to the specification you have described just the basic model is around $200k which is inclusive of the add on ceramic armour.
However add a remote gun station FLIR and costs can rise considerably or supposedly its a question of procurement, sourcing and assembly, but as you should be aware, when you buy complete units suppliers will take you to the cleaners, particularly western suppliers.
The basic stanag 2/3 rated Tigr is about $60k give or take $10k factor in procurement costs and you can have one for $85k. If you wish to up scale adding a remote turret with a127mm, FLIR night fighting capabilities and range finder again its a question of sourcing and assembly using a number of different component suppliers, I’m sure you should be able to do it for well under $40k all inclusive.
Well ken, it depends on what you want, but $40k? Check rafeal and saab remote gun systems and u’ll be shocked! Add active anti missile protective systems and battle field management systems and we’re talking close to $100k! Then, the russian introduse the tigr m which with it extensive modifications can’t be as cheap as $60k. Again,the questn is why did the russians place a firm order for over 1000 lynx when they make the tigr. Understanding this will go a long way in clearing the ambiguity.
Ifiok that’s the million dollar question that doesn’t surprise me do a little bit of research and the first thing we know is Russia has a big problem with corruption and the rest you can fill in yourself.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/russia-to-buy-western-lince-mraps-06675/
Jan 21/13: Renewed battle. Russia’s Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, and his arms procurement chief Alexander Sukhorukov, had both championed the Lince/Rys over the Tigr. Both were dismissed over corruption scandals, but existing orders for the LMV Rys seems to have survived.