In this one-of-a-kind photo which was shot on Friday 29th August, 2014 and posted originally and exclusively on BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG, a freshly delivered Mi-35M attack helicopter can be seen being unloaded from a giant Antonov cargo plane at a location in northern Nigeria (details withheld by me for security reasons). This is the only photo of this mean machine in cyberspace as I write this…a true global exclusive.
The roundel of the NAF is visible on this side towards the tail end and of course, it is the only MiL attack helicopter of the NAF thus far pictured in desert camouflage colour scheme. Its special adaptations are visible from here.
Congratulations to the NAF….Africa’s first PROVEN (not merely claiming) user of the Mi-35M.
BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG…our authoritative edge and integrity shall be continually reinforced.
Beegeagle's Blog 
THIS is the way to go…precisely what we should be doing now instead of rambling ad infinitum about competing demands
We need to standardize on this machine, even for utility purposes. This bird can move artillery pieces and small armoured cars around, do MEDEVAC, do surveillance, carry combatant soldiers et.c. On top of that we have some local maintenance capability with the BVST shops that has been established.
A109s, AW 139s, SeaSprite or… Fanta whenever it comes should be purely for Niger delta ops.
Oga Are James. I respect your hustle sir.
Chooii, i agree 1000% with that chain of thought oga. We already have numerous pilots and technicians on this platform. Repairs and overhauls to a certain extent are already done in house. Couple this with the numerous man hours on the American Civilian and military Bell range of helicopters, i guess we can satisfy both ends of the spectrum, people who dont want us to lean too far east, neither west. Oga we don start military industry be that ohh.
Why standardise on this? For Attack roles, definitely. But for transport/MEDEVAC roles, HELL NO! Why can’t we go for Mi-17s or ANY other medium-lift helo that can transport a decent amount of troops into and out of remote hotspots, with the Mi 35 restricted to escort and CAS roles during such air assault missions? That’s where our focus ought to be right now.
And PLEASE no more LUHs.
Congratulation Nigeria! on your new acquisition. And to General Beegeagle on the world exclusive.
To be honest I really hope shekau and his goons have prepared to meet their virgins because the Airforce has decided to buy them a first class one way no return ticket
We need way more than the few that have been ordered. To help our soldiers whenever and where ever they are pinned down by BH, the Mi attack helicopters have to attack in large numbers, carry lots of munitions and be equipped for night fighting. They are far more accurate than the Alpha jets and far easier and flexible to deploy. They also have a longer loiter time over the battlefield.
That is maybe 6 or more chopper pilots on call day in day out, housed in specialised crew rooms, briefing rooms all ready, ground support staff, weapon loaders and technicians on 24hour standby. You can’t help but come away with some appreciation and thanks for the efforts of the men doing the actual work.
Uhmm….hate to be the party pooper, but isn’t the Mi35M suppose to have an undercarriage that’s pretty much stationary and isn’t retractable? ‘Cos what I see is totally different from the Mi35Ms I see online.
Oh well, kudos to NAF.
The Mi-24PN has the non-retractable under-carriage.
Mi-35M is the upgraded version of the Mi-35 which is the export version of the Mi-24V
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-24_variants
Oga Beeg, let the strafing begin. Surely, more of these are coming in as we speak. Now this is what i call ginger. Ginger men ohhhh DHQ, abeg..lolo
cool
And behold ‘Ye shall pray for mercy and none will be given. For on that day, the god of the terrorists was but nowhere to be seen, for they cut themselves, and tore their clothes, and fired their rust RPGs, their AA guns and shouted the name of their god. But no one answered. And the god of the sky hovered above them, its rotors whined with vengeance, its canons spoke no word but fire issued forth from his sides and burned the people of Boko for their prayer was Haram to the sound of his wrath. And he spoke to them from the belly of the sky, his wings decked in the livery of NAF.
As they ran and cried for mercy, he pursued them to their holes, in their camps, he smote them, he cut them down one after the other until there was none left to pray to the god of IEDs.
These prophecies were written in the scroll of NAF
I feel you die omo!
‘looks pretty much like a Mi-24V.
The desert cameo makes it a little confusing. Makes it look like the old MI 24V we had before that was painted in the same pattern. I think it is just the colour thing, trust me it is a MI 35M.
The canons in front have been removed obviously to protect them from damage during offloading.
Mi35 demo video
Great news. Oga beag, i think it’s time to start adding watermarks to such pictures.
Oga Obix, i respect your hustle sir.
Thanks for the Watermark inspiration Oga. You too much
oga obix
Glad to know you are safe over there be careful, and keep an eye out on those purchases that slip through SIPRI
Oga beegeagle your truly the best at what you do … Kudos to the Nigerian airforce. God bless our dear country Nigeria
Congrats nigeria.
Oga Obix, I agree with you. This photo is about to be duplicated, and no credit would be giving to beeg or this blog.
My question…Can this helicopter crash if a man pad is used to strike it?
I saw the reviews about the radar please General Beegs i will like to know how this beautiful birds will last in service…
@Julius.
This wan na real morbid thinking o. Of course MANPAD can take it out. But there are some counter measures.
1. Flares shoot out automatically to confuse the incoming MANPAD missile
2. Warning receivers will detect radar and other sources of tracking/detection trained on the chopper so that evasive actions can be taken immediately.
3. Pilot cabin is armoured to protect the cockpit against missile warheads that miss but still explode nearby and shower the chopper with sharpnel.
*flare and chafe dispensers*
Oga Julius. I respect your hustle sir.
No aircraft is unassailable. It all depends on the range of such portable defense systems, and the defensive attributes of the aircraft. Countermeasures of the Mi35M include infrared jammer, radar alert and flare dispensers. This should give an experienced pilot ample time to maneuver but maneuverability depends largely on the range of incoming rockets and missiles.
Oga Julius, No mind Oga Are James jare, He’s just busting your chops.
Oga Julius, every thing that flies can be shot down. An Mi 35 is vulnerable to MANPADs but has described has sufficient counter measures.
The biggest threat is not MANPADs but 12.7mm and 14,5mm HMGs
I just watched a video on the MI-35 on youtube,.. this machine is a beat. U.S Marines acquired a couple for use in training. Forget about weaponry, the mere sight and sound of this machine coming towards you at top speed is enough to make you shit your pants, its frightening. No matter the amount of Cocaine these Boko Ram boys take, you cannot brave this machine.
Wonderful news anyone who does not believe in this blog is smoking CRACK. Thanks to people like OGA RUGGED who bought the pie chart out as to how little was being spent on actual procurement . oga mi ! I am chuffed the Night Stalkers are here .bh Winter is upon you. To the PRESIDENCY You have the honor of being the first President to sign a cheque for these Night flying killing machines . Please many more are needed do not rest on your oars.
To hasten the defeat of boko haram, our military planners need to re-arm the NA at the same time the NAF and Navy are being upgraded. The NA, especially the infantry needs modern combat rifles. The infantry is our key to pushing boko haram out of Nigerian territories which they currently hold as well as making it difficult for them to try to seize any more towns by being able to hold ground against enemies.
1. http://youtu.be/Qx7LrMZaZzM
2.http://youtu.be/YBC8IFWC1P0
3. http://youtu.be/Hctyc6THbcE
4. http://youtu.be/OYjbSGO30K0 (the NA needs some of these)
we also need drones, I mean if we cant get the Reapers yet, we out to start thing of procuring light civilian drones for battlefield scouting, real time aerial recon, as we as add an unusual twist to battle situations with the terrorists. In this sense, try to maintain an edge while at same time creating the ‘fear of the unknown’ within the bh ranks.
While civilian RC drones such as the AirDog are mainly for sports and adrenaline, high action enthusiasts, the valuable thing about it is that it is an auto-action drone which once programmed to perform a specific task, it does exactly that without any more input. It can be used to track a particular target or camp. We can modify this for military use such as for monitoring, and watching the movement of insurgents, or to watch their camps, the military use in our current situation is limitless. What it would give us is eye in the sky in situations where it might be difficult to send a NAF asset or NA personnel.
See link to Airdog auto drone:
BBC:
I recently fired a letter to BBC to find out if they have become Boko Haram’s propaganda media outlet.
I actually think every patriotic Nigerian on this blog or who is reading this blog should write an official letter of complaint to BBC….Asking them the above question.
Their cup done full. Everyday nigeria do this, boko haram do that…every single day
Na wa o.
Ki lode??
Na only dem waka come?
Forget BBC, if Nigerian armed forces can not tell their own stories, others would…anyhow they want.
The war here is on ground and in the ‘media-sphere’.
The Iraqis, not to be outdone by enemy propaganda wage their own media blitzkrieg too. Go watch the lil effort they put up for the arrival of their latest MI-28NEs, plus other videos of knocking out enemy convoys and all that.
Their recent capture of Amerli was conducted with a General on ground with news crews going around.
For here,we only get 10 or less pictures ala Damboa recapture and a directive from the army chief, never to post stuff about the army or their equipment.
Pray tell, how the citizens would not be disposed to believe entirely negative reports especially if the army thinks their most effective weapons are those twitter handle updates.
Oga Ocelot, a lot of the stuff you expect to see had to be detached for it to fit into the ANTONOV. This is the Mi-35M. When it is fully set up, it would have boxlike vents at the sides near the inlets above, twin 23mm cannons in the nose. From here, you can see the FLIR device. That is not on any 24V or 35P Hind.
@Oga ALIBO. This is fully night vision-compliant.
@Gens Obix and Henry. Let them clone and revel in fake plaudits. The real juice shall remain under wraps until they learn to be honest. The ones in my vault are SHARP, descriptive and twice as large. So na dem wey lose.
Gen Beegs, my heart is being gradually lifted but there’s still quite a long way to go. Your exclusives mitigate despondency and one hopes the powers-that-be will sustain what is gradually unfolding in terms of the acquisition of platforms, equipment and devices for our forces. One would want to see the C-in-C exhibit more liver by firing incompetent security officials pronto and replacing them, with sound advice, with better and especially more patriotic officers (without prejudice to officers currently serving diligently if they deserve their billet). Mr. President should also reserve the right to order our forces to chase BH into any space, whether Nigerian or not, in order to silence him for good. Let those in command at strategic and tactical levels note that putting the lives of our fighting boys and girls unnecessarily at risk without good equipment, kits and welfare, or shortchanging them by denying them of adequate ammo is worse than treason and the good book reminds them that they will pay here on earth and in heaven above. One last word, this COIN ops needs its own Maxwell Khobes, so those chaps at DHQ should hand out command positions to officers who have the intelligence, liver, charisma, bravado etc. to get the job done and contribute to restoring the sagging reputation of the black world’s best military force. Victoria acerta!
This is what we got there…
LOL..Ocelot. Doubting Thomas Didymus. Is it too good to be true or Nigeria previously set the bar too low?
http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/mi_35m.htm
I think the problem at this point is with the numbers, 1 hope we got this helicopter in good numbers. At the very least 14 MI-35M helicopters.
“Mi-35M
Export night attack version, is fitted with upgraded advanced avionics and sensor package, including night vision systems, GOES-342 electro-optical range finder/targeting system, GLONASS/GPS navigation system, electronic multifunction displays, onboard computer, and jam-proof communications equipment.”.
They need at least 15 MI-35-M, minimum.
There are 3 theaters of engagement- Borno, Yobe and Gombe.
Just confirmed this from a South African Defence blog, BAMA is under government control and Boko Haram was no where
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=81&Itemid=269&ctu=Nigeria
Well done Naija, Africa’s regional hegemon, richest most industrious black nation, going strong despite engineered obstacles. Five years of Islamic insurgency the likes never seen in the history of the African continent, but our nation remains strong, our territorial integrity has never been more secure, our economy keeps growing, investors still flock in,our technology is second only to SA, our infrastructure is improving as the daily lives of the people have never been better off,. Africans and indeed the world will come to embrace the divine leader of the black race on Earth. We are strong. Nigerians don’t commit suicide,neither do Nigerians ever desert Nigeria.. Nigeria is no respecter of any country, We are not under the thumb of the British, the Americans, the Russians, HAMAS or anyone else. We have arguably the most independent foreign policy in Africa. Nigeria is the one African country that can be said to be trulty independent..yes oo, we have nationalized all the nationalize-ables. We own the land. There is no foreign settler community shit in Nigeria that holds us captive. We are the kings of our castles. Our very best products are made in Nigeria. We make our own mistakes; make our own choices and make our own beds.
And to you all other Africans who are members of the anti Nigeria brigade, who predicts and want our downfall, who complain about our loudness and arrogance,who accuse us of stealing their women, i say this : Book a first class ticket onboard Malaysian airline. You cannot understand us, you cannot comprehend how it is a country labelled super corrupt and sysfunctional can in just over a decade grow to become the richest economy Africa has ever seen, who cannot comprehend how it is in the face of violent insurgency our country is still in intact and stronger.Nigerians are natural born revolutionaries. We like to struggle. We are always fighting something or someone. We don’t like the easy life. That is way too boring. We thrive when there is chaos, We rise up to the challenge, where everything is upside down….all this explains why, in spite of everything, Nigerians are the happiest people in the world. We are deliriously happy o,lon’t Nigerians complain a lot about Nigeria. But that does not mean we would have Nigeria any other way. We complain because we love to complain. If everything was alright about Nigeria, we would be miserable. Let’s face it, Nigerians love Nigeria. Nigeria is the way it is because Nigerians love it so. If it were not so, we would have made amends in over 50 years of independence.
Lemme round this up by saying this, Nigeria is the very best country in the world because in Nigeria you will find the proudest blacks, we are Nigerians, black and Proud. Kpakam!!!
Ease off on the self praising a little abeg.
There is nothing new as in ‘breaking news’ in what you have posted. I would wait till late tomorrow for the final verdict. All the towns captured by BH will eventually be regained the time scale and quality of the operations are also important. Let us not jump the gun and spread news that will eventually be proven as false.
Oga Oje. I respect your hustle sir.
Oga. Chooooooooooooooooooooooooi. This one na call to action ohhh. Gbozzzzza, take that all you haters, make una go hug transformer. We shall overcome, not just by the will of God, but by our own collective will as human beings. To all yea investors, if una slack say, boko one tin, you slack die be that, those who have eyes know that Nigeria remains one of the greatest success stories in recent times. We refuse to give in, we refuse to surrender to the marauders. Certain African countries obviously know this gospel truth, that’s why they continue to pour concrete investments into Nigeria. Business is real, vivid numbers cannot lie. Nigeria is booming, shed your scales of prejudice and see Africa for what it truly is, a land of opportunities. African countries that fear Nigeria becoming a major power are only denying the obvious, This is the time to come together, time to form alliances and grow our economic blocks from regional parts to a fully functional and Integrated African economy, complete with rail lines and roads, with visa free movement from one end to the other. If you think Nigeria is too big now, just wait a decade and see. The main reason why European and Asian countries still manage to continue to grow is because they trade mainly with themselves. We have to do same to compete favorably with other major blocks. The African Development Bank recently financed another leg of the over 9000km Trans Sahara Highway. This is the way to go Africa.
The article from defenceweb.co.za does not quote new sources.
The sources are the same quoted by the ThisDay article.
defence web ! nawa for u , so even wen Bornu dep gov say bama no fail u no believe na til does s.African stupid blog post am u come believe
@giles
Bama and Gwoza have not been fully retaken by the Nigerian Army.
Bama never fell.
35M, baby…no horsing around. Boko shall see 99 🙂
Yay….tis watermarked now! MCSHEGZ is my graphics expert. What a valuable chap he has been. For once in a loooong time, I feel motivated…morale high.
So the large, sharp and descriptive photos shall come in the days ahead. Bless you, MCSHEGZ. Now, plagiarists shall cease shortchanging this blog.
Yes Oga beeg. I’d like to add, the watermark should be done in a way it doesn’t obscure the beauty of the equipment, but is clear enough to indicate the image comes from Beegeagle’s blog.
Oga mcshegz.
Oga Beegagle. Oga, you dey make my head dey swell for here ohh. lololololo
Oga Henry. I respect your hustle sir. Yea, consequent ones will be lighter. Thank you oga
Oga mcshegz, thanks a lot bro.
Hehehehe! Oga Beag, don’t forget me wey throw the idea 🙂
Noted, Oga Henro.
So Oga MCSHEGZ, when we do the next cycle, can we adjust the watermark to the portion below the front tyre? That way, all the night vision kit and gunnery are not obscured from view?
MANY thanks, my friend. Ruggedity and combatancy confirmed 🙂
Oga Beegeagle, yes boss, will get on it
Oh, if we can adjust the watermark on this photo, that would be great.
Welcome to the blog, Ogas Keviadano, Chynedoo and Saleh. We trust that you shall add value to this community. Mek una nor fight o.
Oga thank you for acknowledging us… I have been following this since 2012 ooo I understand how things happen around here. #Godbless
Welcome. some introductions…
1. @mcshegz, resident technician, positive commentator
2. @oje, positive inspirer, commentator
3, @pecavi, military expert
4,@asorockweb, military expert
5,@xnurr1 aviation expert
6, @are james, nothing is good enough
7,@igbi, boko haram is everywhere
To be continued…..
Oga General Beegeagle , I will appreciate if you can develop an ipad/iPhone app for easier access on the go for your numerous foot soldiers. We need to disseminate good propaganda fast to let the Boko boys and their sponsors know they are in our cross hairs.
When we finish with them we shall invade Libya and capture the source of arms destabilizing Africa
Welcome oga kevidano, chynedoo,,salheh We all want to wish you guys a big welcome !!!
so I am guessing these are the six MI-35M’s that were ordered in April.
The payment for 6 Mi-35M was included in the 2014 budget – that means it was order last year or even before that.
Gentlemen,
If NA has won the day in Bama it’s a great victory.
But let us temper our euphoria, and focus on rebuilding NA once and for all.
Our unfortunate circumstances has exposed the various Nigeria haters within and without Africa.
Our success, our survival and our triumph would be our best revenge.
But first of all, we need humility. It doesn’t matter how great we think we are, if our economy and our military cannot back it up.
The president and the senate must immediately resolve to rebuild our armed forces .
A 15 billion dollar Algerian style military up grade is what I am talking about.
This is a strategic imperative for a an African power like Nigeria, WE CANNOT WAIT FOR SO CALLED COMPETING DEMANDS ON OUR RESOURCES.
WE EITHER WANT TO BE A GREAT POWER OR WE DON’T.
No more Lilliputian military spending, we should stop thinking Cameroon, and think Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa.
Any Nigeria leader that does not see this agenda as worthy of the Nigerian people, should please resign, and let Nigerian patriots that believe in a strong Nigeria step forward.
Our enemies have shown their fangs and their resentment of what we stand for. They rejoice and snicker at our tribulations, even though we readily spent our blood and treasure to aid fellow African states.
Abuja must reorient itself from narrow minded, corrupt , selfish endeavors, and see Nigeria in it’s proper context.
Work for the BIG PICTURE, Work for the Glory of Nigeria, as the Romans served for the Glory of Rome.
Yes Oga doziex, $15 billion now for full and urgent modernization of Nigerian army, navy, and air force at this time of war. FG and MoD owes us arrears for new equipment due to 30 years of neglect, calculated at $500 million for each of those 30 years.
NATO standard is 2% of a country’s GDP per annum for annual defence budget.
For Nigeria, it will now be $11 billion defense budget annually, but at least $3 billion must be for new equipment purchase and upgrades every year from 2015. We must always be up to date like South Africa and Algeria.
@Augustine
You are not putting it out there well enough.
If we spend $8bn annually on defence, we have the fiscal regime whereby a military industrial complex comprising local manufacturing and equipment maintenance is groomed / developed and at least 100000 people can be employed incrementally every year for the next ten years. Defence industries have multiplicative civilian spin offs into the agric., aviation, civilian electronics and IT fields..so we are talking a possible doubling of GDP in five years.
Nigeria currently spends an equivalent of $9bn annually on its oil and gas JVs which barely add up to 10000 jobs per annum. Let us do the maths and show it to the people in power. They don’t understand nationalistic geo political arguments but $$ signs will move them to action.
Welcome all newcomers. Aboki Saleh, barka de zuwa. The other brothers, I salute you all.
Oga Beegeagle and Oga McShegz, I will advice you don’t reduce or shift the watermark, if you lower the position on the page to the bottom line, copiers will cut it off and still keep the value of the photo. At the middle, they won’t tamper with it. Oga Henry no vex, I think we can manage it like that. Just my opinion sha, my small coconut head no be oracle.
Don’t make it lighter o, MCSHEGZ. We shall only determine where to have the watermark embossed in such a way that the defining components of the hardware system do not get obscured from view.
@Chief Agostinho. We actually arrived at that conclusion as well. One was faint and placed too high while the other was embossed too low in which case, a determined plagiarist could just cut off the watermark by cropping the photo
Mi-35M Hind E, welcome to Naija, this is a war zone….show ‘Shekau’ your air to ground power.
Thank you all my ogas.
I nearly tore my hair out a few days ago when all I could read on Bama was what some foreign reporters 5,000 miles away were gleefully putting out there as if to gloat over Nigeria’s current challenges.
Oga Beeg I salute .
May I suggest sir that you put out some informative articles regularly on the issue of Defence in mainstream Nigerian press. I am sure Guardian, Thisday, Businessday, Punch and some other Nigerian newspapers will be more than happy to publish your write-ups on the issue of defence.
People with the knowledge and expertise on this subject (Defence) should start speaking up and make their voices heard. Good and reasonably intelligent Nigerian’s should stand up and be heard.
As far as this subject is concerned, your blog is an institution. And I’m glad I found it when I did.
Gentlemen, as we celebrate, let us not forget o ! No more dry or half-lethal equipment.
Does this Hind E come with laser guided rockets, bombs, and missiles?
Or it’s just the usual deaf and dumb bombs, rocket, and guns? Such an expensive bird should be armed up to Indian air force standards at least.
$15 Billion? da heck. to buy what? If we procure those jets in that quantity you are suggesting who will fly them? We do not have the pilots to fly these birds, it will take months of training and a ton of money. South Africa today with its super advanced weapons systems and indigenous defence companies are severely handicapped and cannot mount any form of sustained combat operations, It may surprise you to know that as of now the Nigerian Air Force is in a better state than our Southern counterparts., There are only six pilots qualified to fly their Gripens and they clock barely a tenth of the 250 annual hours each. They have the impressive Rooviak but again severly handicapped by manpower and training..as it stands our Helicopter gunship fleet far outstrips South Africa’s both in personnel, size and quality. Most of the SAAF’s 12 strong light helicopter fleet is grounded because of the “almost total lack of flying-hour allocation. They have nothing remotely as advanced as the Nigerian airforce ATR surveillance aircraft which is the only one of its kind in Africa.
Our air force might be in a mess but its active, Im sure we have more than 6 qualified pilots to fly our fighters, and of course, this new acquisition sets us further into a league of its own. Believe it or not SAAF is no where near the NAF in capability now, not because of technology but because of numbers. How will a 6 man pilot airforce protect the country’s skyline?
It will take a considerable amount of time before we can fully integrate new platforms into our inventory. Training is the key, its damn very expensive training fighter pilots.
They are calling for 15 billion dollars to modernize the armed forces: army, navy and airforce. What you are saying is once again off topic. It is you who was claiming that isis had more weaponry than Nigeria (which is a ludicrous statement by the way), yet when people call to rearm Nigeria you say it is armed enough. So make up your mind.
@ Oje , with the way defence procurement issue had been handled in the past, $15 billion for the 3 armed forces is for me too SMALL, its on this blog that we read how Pilots are trained but end up being idle, Why you may ask? Your guess is as good as mine. As for South Africa, I’ve read (the moment i see that article again i’ll post it here) how the issue of politics is ruining their system, a group of people have been in power for donkey years and all of a sudden another group finds itself in power and is determined to ‘EQUALIZE’, if you get what i mean, this has obviously affected them.
Again NA finds it’s self defending, or expelling rebels from densely populated towns and cities.
Monrovia, freetown, Makeni, Bo, kenema, port loko, port harcout and now Damboa, Gwoza, bama and maidugiri.
I hope the hard lessons on urban combat was retained or institutionalized.
In freetown, NA lacked the mobility to respond to, or block all access routes into the city.
Now, NA has plenty of hilux trucks, but so do BH. I wish we already had new SHILKA’s on the ground.
Anti aircraft guns mounted on 4×4 trucks would suffice to match the range of firepower, and the mobility of BH’s platforms.
Direct fire from our Tanks, and hand held or mounted Anti tank guided missile systems (ATGMS)
would make it easier to neutralize BH’s platforms upon approach, preferably at stand off ranges.
Artillery and air assets should pound them as they retreat and reassemble.
Night vision goggles are essential.
50 caliber sniper rifles should also be employed, to neutralize BH targets at range.
NAF we need your assets (drones and tucanos), to maintain situational awareness.
GIVE ‘EM HELL !!!!
Why dont we convert some portion of the MTLB fleet to armored ‘technicals’ by mounting 20mm cannons on them (similar to the sort of weapons on the scimitar AFV) using a small revolving turret. They would totally nullify the technicals. At a minimum we could use 14.5mm HMGs.
This reconfiguration can easily be handled in the Army’s Central work shop, working with the team who produce the Igirigi.
In my view this would be an even more effective solution than the use of Main battle Tanks which we seem to be resorting to at the moment.
Oga Ozed, it is a great idea.
Even BMP-2s , protected from RPGs by cage armor would suffice. But we need them in the hundreds, not in the tens.
So since hiluxs or 4x4s are plentiful, we might as well mount them with 14.5 mm guns like chad and Cameroon.
We need many mobile gun platforms to cover all the roads and side streets into the town or city being defended.
Excellent idea. This is exactly what the Iraqi army has done with their MTLB fleet.
The MT-LB is relatively soft-skinned (it was originally designed for the artillery towing role). Mounting HMGs or cannons on top of it and asking a gunner to seat in an exposed position with no armoured protection does not solve the problem of BH technicals.
This idea of “big gun” vs. “big gun” is not the right approach.
MBTs or heavily armoured IFVs gives you survivability which in turn, in the absence of persistent air-cover, breeds the confidence to maneuver in enemy space.
We have seen that at least one of Cameroon’s twin-14.5mm HMG trucks fell into BH hands and they used that to lead the attack against Gwoza.
Let’s just rebuild the NA’s armoured units. Doing so will give war planners additional options.
Oga beegs thanks for confirming this, I also saw a huge transport plane silhouetted against the sky in PH. It was unusually big not like the regular G-222 or C-130s that regularly come in.
So it was an Antonov.
God bless.
A military official recently mentioned the difficulties in retaking Gwoza, due to it’s elevation.
It seems that the town sits on a high ground or a plateau.
And it is also full of caves from where BH anti aircraft guns can rain bullets down on approaching units.
It seems that Nigeria now has it’s own version of “Kargil” or “OP Anaconda”
A heliborne assault to land 300 commandos on the hilltop to take out these A.A. gun positions may be feasible.
Unlike the indian or American air forces, NAF doesn’t have precision munitions to target these elevated caves from the air.
20 or so, Mi-17s backed by Mi-35Ms, can airlift about 300 commandos armed with ATGMs.
When the BH guns are neutralized, NA infantry can then make their up hill approach to gwoza.
This has to be preceded with days of round the clock air strikes.
All exposed gun posts, captured NA weaponry or Technicals, must be destroyed from the air first.
Helicopter mobile or assault units can provide NA with solutions around environmental obstacles.
This is an excellent sight.
Hopefully they will be in operation soon.
Does anyone know what their weapon suite is, If they are night/ all weather capable and what that pod is at the bottom left of the cockpit?
Haba Oga Peccavi, you dey see FLIR pod com dey ask for night vision again? The reason why orders were placed for six units each of Mi-35M and Mi-171Sh Terminator is their advanced avionics, night attack compliance and all weather capability.
These capabilities, in addition to precision guidance of munitions and loiter time ABSOLUTELY drove the quest for Mi-35Ms, Mi-171Sh Terminator and ALX Super Tucano.
@Doziex. Bro, the Gwoza-Kerawa axis sits on the northernmost extension of the Mandara Mts at an altitude of 1,300 metres ASL. It is a rugged area of extinct volcanic activity. That is why it is craggy and full of caves. This is why the Taliban/BH have always coveted this area which is a natural stronghold. Same reason why the Police Mobile Force have had an altitude camp for physical conditioning in that mountainous area.
Indeed, as long ago as 2009, Freegulf and I were already in agreement on the need for the NA to create mountain and desert warfare battalions. Between the Sonkwala Mts near Obudu and on to the mile high Kunatata Hills near Wukari on to the Mambilla Plateau, Adamawa Highlands, Gotel Mts, Alantika Mts and Mandara Mts, the Nigeria-Cameroon frontier consists of a 1,000+ km continuum of mountains, highlands and plateaux the lowest of which is higher than any point in Scotland.
In the Far Northeast, all of the area between the Lake Chad as far west as Nguru which stretches for 500 km, consists of Sahelian or Saharan landscapes complete with desert sand dunes. This was why BH started out in the desert landscape of Kanamma. Now you know why I like to say that our threat analysis is antiquated.
We tried alert our nation to these dangers. Admittedly, the readership was not that influential during those early days of defence and security advocacy. I am sure that the NA shall yet establish mountain and desert warfare battalions. The army division which we advocated for its creation has already been created in the 7 Division.
More like ten Mi-17s can fly in 330 troops in one sweep, Doziex
We are the architects of our own fate. While we were burying our heads in the sand and waxing poetic about competing demands countries such as IRAQ which are never slow on the draw were piling on factory refurbished Mi-17s for US$3.33m apiece.
We take forever to make a decision, take forever to issue tenders and take an eon to do the financials. Our system is rather lousy for real. Refurbishing Super Pumas in twos and spending a dumbfounding US$100m on four refurbished Super Puma helos with a total carrying capacity of 96 troops WHEREAS that amount would have landed us TWENTY FOUR refurbished and more rugged Mi-17s which would carry 1,222 soldiers in one sweep.
We have said previously that there is a conclave of Western puppets in Nigerian circles who would foist every ridiculous choice on us just so that our military looks one way or the other. That is why our national interest is often imperilled.
Decision here can be funny- We used $84m to upgrade 12 trainers(Machiss) in anticipation of 4G jets- We have not seen the 4G jets or even the upgrades trainers (at least for now and we are so shrewd at buying what is needed urgently)- just thinking-We know this ( boko haram) is a long term issue and the future does not really look conflict free (apologies for my pessimism) We need to be happy at little Achievement- but our heart should be towards great things
(1) Army Aviation-Airlift and Attack-take off some burden from NAF and also improve coordination and planning-too much of blue on blue nowadays.
(2) Standardized platform for an era- Let us understand that our standard anti-amour and COIN rotary machine is Mi35m.Airlift is Mi17 for the next 1.5 decades-let us ramp up numbers and spares, let us empower BVST/AFIT partnership to flourish to the point of Rebuilding/privately planned upgrade/Core component overhauls. This is how everybody gets by nowadays. Still don’t know why Denel has the largest facility for Mil helicopter maintenance in Africa and SAF does not even use Mil product- good business thinking
(3) Clear plans for the future-Where are we gonna be in 15 years? by them our population will be about 200m, diverse ethno -religious nature, imbalance in wealth distribution,civilian access to military technology will all still predispose our country to trouble makers like BH and co ( like every other third world country with similar issues)- How do we intend to get the necessary military technology to keep opinionated people at bay by then at good price? What plans do we have for the Airlift groups? e.t.c Why are we not thinking of been becoming part of development program now? Malaysia,Brazil,SA,Indonesia and other countries of similar standing are all part of a subsisting development program for some aircraft or tank or submarine.
We need to Think deep and far for a bright future! Think about it-Sudan has 50 of this guys we are celebrating on order and have over 60 other helix in millitary service!
My wingman, Oga Solorex, there is nothing pessimistic about your prognosis. It stands to reason. Even I have said that from the point when BH are defeated, the aftershocks of this conflict shall continue to be felt for yet another decade.
Take a look at the profoundly anarchical neighbourhood in which Nigeria exist. In nearly every direction as deep as two republics removed from here, there is armed conflict. Checklist Niger and Mali; Algeria and Libya; Chad and The Sudan; Cameroon and the CAR. How is there not going to be a spillover from these nextdoor neighbours and near neighbours?
When the then Lt Colonel Buba Marwa was MILAD of the pre-partition Borno State in 1990, he introduced a joint police-military security outfit called OPERATION ZAKI. This trendsetting effort was with a view towards curtailing the excesses of bandits and straying guerrillas from the conflict in Chad who had laid siege to the large, remote and strategically located state. Today, BH pose a similar threat to people in remote districts of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
Hark back to the Niger Delta Amnesty of 2009. Even after the principal warlords of MEND acceded to the peace process, John Togo of the Niger Delta Liberation Force kept on fighting until he got killed in battle in 2010. As recently as August 2012, the Lapto Marine Force were still engaging in acts of criminality in the area adjacent to the Bakassi frontier.
It coheres with good judgement to assume that even after this war has been won and lost, the aftershocks and skirmishing shall continue for a number of years to come.
Thanks guys. These are medium term plans that would work, i think the public is getting wised up to happenings in the defence sector (post boko haram) and would start asking questions about this ‘infrastructural area’ the same way they ask questions about roads, bridges and schools.
Oga Solorex always sees the big picture.
Chief Beeg, I SALUTE! U wont believe the rumble u have stirred just now. My esteemed Cyber Lords, write it as it is and say it as it is… facts may not necessarily be the truth but the TRUTH is always the FACT. Keep the analysis, comments and frustrations flowing.
Believe me, none escapes the eyes and ears of they that count in the scheme of things ib Nigeria. The collation is about concluded and the result will pronounce it self shortly. Long live the FGN.
I hail you too, Oga Startrek. Na AWOL you dey return from so o :-). Where have you been, man?
Ehmmm let the games begin I purposely didnt want to comment on the bama attack until I saw this .thus I will take my time to digest this in its role.oga beegz congrats to everybody here..oga are,mschegaz etc..but we have a lot more work to do
Wait oh oga beegz this is absolute bias.when I joined this blog as a member…on december 2012 nobody welcomed me haba now it isnt fair.oh infact can somebody get me my m-16 people go suffer here today especially oga are.welcome our new soldiers
My fellow ogas what I am going to say now may anger some people here but I have ti say it.
In as much as we are screaming our selves hoarse for new equipment we have forgotten,a very important rule in war..”when ur enemy has the fire,use ur stone to create ur fire” simple english “improvisation”
I wish start from the top
Rifles: we have had a lot of complains bothering jaming and lack of optical sights on the ak-47 wodden stock and lack of mags
i dare say that in this period of so called competing demands a lot of our manpower on the ground are not innovative at all
solution: how often do troops clean their guns?i know for a fact that the ruggedity of the ak allows for minimal cleaning during use but we are in prolonged combat where ur rifle is ur girlfriend.cleaning should be a ritual before patrols or missions..the ak has the enviable position of been one of the rifles with the lowest technical problems hence even a well kept rifle used in vietnam was able to fire a full magazine during a test at a musuem in antwep.
i have taken a good close up look at the ak and have realized the nigerian army workshop nd engineers have been sleeping .i happen to know through a friend that has access to dicons facilities that there are a large number of scopes(magnum) laying in the store room idling away.what i am saying is that it takes simple technical ingenuity to know that binding soft alloyed iron at two end of the top base with tight latches and with one of the scopes in it gives u an ak with optical sights same with a handle bar.
mags:in this situation i am dismayed by reports of troops going into combat with two magazine bck up with the loaded one that is sucide but i have first hand information of an irate senior in secondary school who happens to be tight friend to me and is in his tour of duty in bornu has complained that a lot of troops especially rookies lack firing discipline.a situation where troops on full automatic fire indiscriminatly at targets that are nt within range there negating general pattons philosphy of let every bullet count..troops should learn to put there heads down and triggers ready but with a clear or minimal target in co-ordinated fashion
webbings: yes we have seen the flack jackets no extra ponches for ammo.i ask my self wat do we do then my mind comes down to a very absurd answer.combat backpacks in aba those back which have pounches that round the stomach are can be buckled up through the legs are sold here freely just like some shoe makers here supply the division in enugu and the east with desert combat boots same relationship can be made.i repeat it has at least five pounches in front and can be paced round the flck jackets some even have backs added to it.militayr colours are nt hard to find and market women even wear them to place cash(not army camo) t
more coming…………
Scopes shouldn’t be the end of it. How about making the rifle lighter for the infantry soldier using polymer materials? And how about increasing the rifle ‘ s accuracy by adding a pistol grip in front, and a redesigned polymer stock, replacing the old wooden and bent stock? While they’re at it, additional rails can be added to the sides and top for optics and laser dot devices.
Better still, a whole new rifle can be redesigned based on the firing mechanism of the AK. That’s how the galil and R4 came to be.
The truth is that we need creative engineers at DICON, not the current types satisfied with churning out old NR1s, OBJ006s, and old Browning Hi-Power.
communicatins:this probably is the most tricky of all .the effects and problems we have are numerous.friendly fire,IRS failure?etc.
what the does improvization offer
when i took a look at a motorola iridum two way radio used by the police which i believed is also used by the army and its format i realized that since we cannot provide every trooper with a mobile personnel radio we negated a very important device which has been an object of mischief amongst our moles in the army”the android phone”
there is absolutey no app that u cant find on the androif device today from actual radar apps to compass nt to talk of gps system and precision apps.
how does it work.i am a computer science undergraduate and in my humble opinion that department in the army is full of block heads.if the CO of the squad is carrying the only comms devices in the squad it can be integrated via an android safe apps such as breaker.what it does is that at least a minimum of 15 troops using android phones prefarably cheap techno with their IMEI registered underneath the mainframe of the only two way radio the squad has. with their sim cards removed to avoid u know what i mean.when enroute in combat the troops with this phone activate this app on their phone automatically placing them as clients under the CO with the ear phone connected to their ears they can communicate with each other within a range of about 39 meters and the CO can actually hear the conversation of troops and give general commands to every body hence each troop can go his way within this limit and comunicate with the rest of the squad without getting lost.however only the CO can communicte with the FOB or HQ as the case may be hence it serves the purpose of mobile communication until nigeria decides to make it better.all phone are tagged with the soldiers name and reg no so KIA soldiers will be deactivated from the squad.note intensive computer training is needed for this to work as it has a lot of risks but still it is just to improvise
@Buchi
Can you expatriate on this laudable idea. You have a good thing going here but it needs to fleshed out and practicalized. So basically you want the android system to be the platform for some intra platoon communication system that is also expandable to a sort of C3 node.
*expatiate*
Or just buy radios for every trooper.
Are you suggesting that the troopers use their own personal android phones?
What about distractions? Will providing radio/android to regular infantry not distract him on the field?
Here is a report on such thing. Battlefield smartphone.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/01/10/7814/problems-battlefield-smartphones
@ Oga Buchi
See, I am not rejecting your Idea. The very fact that you have thought in this line that military planners in USA have thought, is itself commendable and that you are thinking in right direction.
I am just trying to raise the bar a little higher.
I’m not sure providing soldiers with Android phones is a good idea at all. Law enforcement, sure. Military, nope. Besides, you need a Comms system that’s secured using good Ole Frequency Hopping (FHSS) and DSS techniques, not some download able app one can get from Google play or so.
BH does not have the capability to intercept comms yet. The app that @Buchi was talking about would be developed by the armed forces and not available on Google App Store. Security is possible within the app itself.
Love to hear news like this. My concern is the numbers. 6 will not be enough. Now that the AH-1 Cobra deal has been “scuttled”, whats will be NAF’s next move to fulfill their 40 helicopter requirement?
Oga Deway,we just hope that the money for Cobras be used to acquire brand-new Mi-28NE Havoc attack helicopters period!
CONGRATULATION to the NAF for acquiring the Mi-35M Hind E attack helicopters.
Boko Haram will not rest again.We are still expecting the 4G fighter jets if they are not here already.
there is nothing as good as man portable radar systems yes but right now oga improvisation with the above stated device has a lot of radar apps online which can be downloaded and are actually effective.however some are quite useless.hence i am still looking for a very suitable one but apps like radar all offer 5m detection of three basic modes.heat,heavy,strange
co-ordinates:now possibly this is where this device beats all.although it consumes enormous data if a patnership is reached with a major comms company under the guise of partnership this can be well achieved.using a well channeled gps app nt google gps oh..third party as we can break through an improved channel we can send co ordinates to any department needed on the field especially artillery crews.the airforce will need to integrate its frequency in the central comms station for usuage at FOB level..this apps automatically calculate geo positional co-ordinates of the handler which can be sent at a click and can aid in ranging targets for artillery hit by the radio man of the squad.
There’s nothing like an actual radar app.
Smartphones on isolated battlefields is not feasible, nor reliable. Besides they use agps as such not entirely dedicated devices.
Coordinates; go handheld garmin or magellan GPS. Couple that with radios, you can call in artillery and airstrikes.
Greetings, cyber generals. Though i’ve been quiet for some time now, i always check on our lovely blog. @Oga Beag, God has blessed you, so no man can take that away from you. Oga Jimmy, thanks for your concerns. I’m very safe and sound. Unfortunately, the people wey dey help me see things dey busy with the war now. Oga Henry yes, recognition should be given to whom it’s due. Enough of the free pictures. Oga Mcshegz, i respect your hustle 🙂 You’ve been a great asset here.
Ruggedly BUCHI, notin do you. When you arrived two years ago, we were a small community and every newbie could be recognised on the board. Today, we don many hence the intros. Nor vex, you are well recognised and on point.
@General Obix on the Urals and Caucasus….our plenipotentiary in Ukraine and Russia. 21 gun salute for you. How yonder? Lots of NAF stuff expected from your neck of the woods. Na Boko wey go finally tire.
mechanized infantry:we dnt have BTR 13 IFV in substancial no.just like oga oje said the best we can do now is mounting HMGs on toyota hilux
i very much agree but i goes beyond HMGs in as much it is thick skinned and nt suitable for desert warfare it is what we have right now and as we wait for more MRAPs to come to the fray improvisation says we can mount
light assault rocket launchers either multiple or single that can fire grad rockets et al
i believe that this is a crazy idea and the chassis of a hilux cant manage it but i think we can mount hotwizers on the hilux however i am nt sure
we have bulit the igirirgi apc and toyota has nigerian security agencies as their greatest customers it is time for dicon and the military to form a strong patrnership with the firm to produce an up armoured version of the hilux .yes it can be done.the humvee started this way from the jeeps of yesterday..we can make the hilux our owm trade mark..for now i thing proforce and the forgery department of dicon must now think of elevating hilux out of it light skinned problem to be our own definition of a humvee..countries and nations that are now proper players in the arms trade strated from mr improvisation and then improvement
this is what my small head can think of for now .MI-35 oya it is strafting time
Guy thats the way to go!!!
Of course there is no assurance any of these your ideas can work? But the beginning of improvement is challenging status quo, and failing a few times is a good sign that you are on your way to something new.
The Army (and in deed the other services) must begin to ask questions of their technical arms.
– Ask TRADOC to go and evolve a simple practical solution to the boko Technical based on old or new equipment and modified small unit tactics
– Set up a task force to look deeply at the old innovations the biafrans fought with and bring greater resources and improved technology to bear on them to get new and more effective descendants
– Get a task force of munitions experts to begin working (with foreign technical partners) on production of munitions i.e. basic general purpose bombs, rockets (both air to air and surface to air), it is actually shameful that we still import bombs and rockets even tough they have changed little since WW2.
– Involve the private sector in the mass production of DICON’s existing break throughs (probably under some type of bonded manufacturing arrangement) i.e. producing under supervision and monitoring
– lock a bunch of techies (mechs and electros) in a room and get them to begin working on the sexier stuff e.g. anti-tank guided missiles (if we can make a basic RPV, dont understand why we cant make basic anti tank missiles).
Of course some of these initiatives might fail, in fact maybe more than 50% of them, but the fact is that serious minded countries never stop with their R&D, and it is a pity that a Country like Nigeria which is gifted with smart scientists and technicians are not putting more effort into it.
Part of the issues we are having in the North East is that virtually everything we are using there has to be imported, whereas if we had been more serious with our defence industry, the cost of this war effort could well have been halved. Thus when $1billion is made available more of it can be spent on the really sexy stuff which we could never realistically make, while the basic stuff which is used in greater quantum can be sourced locally.
Yes oga are it is possible nothing is limited in comp programming
Well done NAF. No let up though as many more game changing assorted airframes with the required avionics etc. are needed.
Sticking with the Air Force theme, here’s an article on low cost fighters.
For my money, I would go with the Yak-130 or the J-17
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140903-low-cost-fighter-jets-take-off
SU 25K would be second hand and costs just $13million.
L 159 ALCA which Nigeria might unfortunately be getting soon is about $15 million.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_L-159_Alca
Scorpion Air craft is not ready yet but they say would be about $20million.
All these aircraft also have low running costs.
Asorokweb as I stated this is just improvization theory..every nation started its brand
And no I dnt mean their personal phones specialized android devices made in patrnership with a trusted nig comms ntwork …if the soldiers are ordered to use theirs for opps purposes no prob
The Nigerian Army spent billions over many years some time ago on a locally developed communications system led by some scientist/engineer from the east I think. We never found out how that went. Right now there is a balloon based system being ok introduced which works.. but I suspect handsets to use on that platfom are the problem we have now.
Oga Are James. I respect your hustle sir.
Are you serious, like a balloon based system teetered to the ground, when is that coming on? Honestly i always wondered why we don’t have a functional helium balloon teetered system for surveillance and reconnaissance, or we can have the Goodyear blimp type(non teetered), easily movable, controlled and can carry considerable amount of ISR equipment, a couple of these can easily cover a state, providing real time actionable intelligence to forces on ground. Day/Night capabilities can be easily incorporated as well to provide an all purpose ISR vehicle. These things can be easily built and maintained in-house too, so we dont have to expend forex on these. I believe these concepts can be embarked on either by university/polytechnic students, military engineer and or private companies. What we need as rightly put by oga’s on here is continuous, reliable eyes in the sky, all day every day, nothing less will do.
Oga Buchi. I respect your hustle sir.
Respectfully sir you come across as an individual with a great sense of responsibility for his/her nation. It’s always a glad sight to behold when Oga’s on here talk about in-Nation capacity. The ability to make things work for ourselves. The ability to commercialize products and show our Generals that this things do actually work. Its somehow obvious to me that Top Brass might not be willing to dabble into nascent innovative concepts, not because they don’t believe in the Nigerian can do spirit but because its always hard to justify funding without a fully functional prototype, although i believe DHQ should be heavily involved in innovations, research and development. Black budgets should be accorded to areas such as Nuclear energy, and technological aspects that have varied applications, such as jet engine development and electro-opticals. These fields can be easily commercialized and furthered by the private sector, once matured. Our spy activities should be beefed up to acquire relevant technologies from any country that has them. Employ a multi-pronged strategy of using our so called able bodied yahoo boys as well as deniable in house capacity to achieve this aim. So Oga Buchi, i believe the onus lies on us to make these things work, fortunately or unfortunately we have to take matters into our hands and deliver, not every one believes in a dream, but anyone with eyes to see will always believe what they see. The best example i can provide is Oga Beegeagles blog, yes ohh, i will never stop to sing praises, not because i’m a kiss-ass but because all of us on this blog today, whether we like to admit it or not always wondered why Nigeria didn’t have such an avenue to see Nigerian Forces in its true glory, but today we rejoice because through the dedication,will, and commitment of one man, we have arguable the fastest growing defense establishment in recent times.So i’ll like to encourage all of us to continue to challenge ourselves, continue to think outside the box, continue to break obstacles and use them as stepping stones, Oga Buchi, i heard you say you are a computer science undergrad, suffice to say we all expect greater things from your extraordinary mind. Respectfully sir, your ideas are spot on, we need to make them work, how can we help?
Supported. A lot of young bright technological visionaries on this blog..minus the one that we all know about.
well done NAF. great news for such an exciting day. kudos to the brass, more of these gunships with night capabilities. boko terrs shall have no rest and are hell bound.
once again, thank you our Commander In Chief. u are in the process of bringing in confidence that an emasculated armed forces such as ours lost decades ago due to military misrule.
no more sitting down planning blue helmet task. the military is raised for warfare, war is their first responsibility.
as for gwoza ops, i prefer we raise a Special Operation Task Force (SOTF) as an air assault units with helicopters. this SOTF would be the elite shock troops to capture strong hill points and caves from the terrs. the SSG of pakistan have something similar. maybe our newly trained Ranger battalion can be shaped for these tasks.
the army needs more mobile gun platforms to manoeuvre in the wild expanse of borno. a mix of heavily armed gun trucks, adequately armed APCs, IFVs, and MBTs should be grouped into a GARDES MOBILE and take the war to the enemy. if i can have more time on my hand i would try an write a more detailed monograph ( or just write-up, i no get power for scholarly works these days) of this gardesmobile concept, an operational strategy, which in my opinion would destroy the ranks of boko haram decisively.
Since about 30 years ago till today all the money spent to purchase equipment/weapons for Nigerian army is less than $900 million…. only!
Don’t count Shagari era purchases delivered later due to delays of final payment or arms embargo, don’t count the Boko war new funds, just looking at how our army stood when this war was fired up with state of emergency.
Nigerian army purchased arithmetically, new equipment/weapons valued at less than $30 million per year for the past 30 long years.
You want Nigerian army to perform like Israeli army today, abi?
.
Disgraceful figure at $30million per annum. What then is the pride of the generals in ten-car convoys. We have been deceiving ourselves for too long. That’s why the ND militants were so confident, that’s why BH has now become an embarrassment. What were they afraid of?…a coup?.
my oga chief beeg no mind dis my alabukun style na so man see am for now ooo .we de shout say fire dey mountain na him sunami come de happen for valley side. so tey them come turn person to field messenger. BUT I TELL U NAIJA GO BETTA NA SMALL GIST GO FULL GROUND.
Draw a perpendicular line from top to bottom of Nigeria’s North East war zone, approximately 600 km. If you want quick response close air combat support arriving within 20 minutes of army distress calls when Boko Haram springs it’s usual surprise attacks, we must position a heavily guarded FOB for these new Mi-35M Hind helicopters every 100km of the axis-battle line, means 6 FOB bases with minimum 3 of the helicopters each. Means NAF needs minimum 18 units of these new day/night war birds the Mi-35M Hind E combat helicopters.
They have short flight endurance of only about 1 hour of combat before fuel gets too low. With example of Bama battle lasting about 24 hours, we have to rotate at least 3 Mi-35M as one goes back to refuel and rest for 2 hours before next sortie, the other 2 units replace it in the air one by one.
Somebody help me tell NAF, when you go for close support, first find Boko vehicles with big AAA guns and APCs, destroy those first, then the enemy’s firepower is degraded and their mobility on battlefield limited, also their retreat and escape vehicles are wiped out. Na one by one Nigerian army go kill them all finish inside the town or village. Escapees can be hot pursued by NA Toyotas with Browning HMG and Multiple Grenade launchers.
Informed observers would have all MIL MI series choppers under army aviation. Then all your suggestions here would be standard operating procedure.
I beg, 24 hours a day round the clock army NAF special forces guard for ALL our new helicopters o ! Remember NAF base Maiduguri experience when Boko showed us commando style lighting raid that destroyed our Mi-35 helicopters inside our own base, we did not even have any plan to fly off the expensive helicopters when shooting began, we just left them there to be destroyed on an open tarmac or hanger with wide open doors for an illiterate with rifle and IED to waste =N= 3 billion worth of equipment with his =N= 3,000 worth of home made petrol bomb !!!!
.
SUPPORTED
The current NAF helios must be protected from bh around the clock.
Seconded!!!
Please how do you support your comments with pictures and YouTube videos ?
ask BEEGS
Are you guys watching the news?NATO is sending troops to Ukraine, light troops that will respond to further Russian aggression. This is getting too serious..
“Light troops” reads like special forces. They are going to high tech everything. Jam radar, confuse communications, pass on satellite pictures, teach sabotage and demolition.
Not good at all for Russia.
No. Light Troops, not special forces.
Do you mean regular infantry? That’s serious o.
General @areJames I beg to differ… We do really need this choppers for assault purposes only and nothing more. The Mi-35M have been optimized for attack role. We need a dedicated attack squadron badly to hit BH technicals.
Furthermore, if our Pumas should be reactivated and used to sling artillery and other frontline assets for repositioning.
Nothing pleases me more than to know that when our boys call in for air support there’s a squadron of helicopters armed with rockets and machine gun and AT guided missile coming to their aid.
My two cent.
Correction: MI 171sh and Super Puma for heavy duty utility and MEDEVAC
Light troops are troops able to respond swiftly to threats anywhere. No Tanks or Artillery Guns to delay or hold them down. Highly armed infantry with Apaches.
Marshal Beeg, as usual a job well done
Oga bharat,u are quite right abt the problem of distraction.i did read the article and i do not wholely agree dat single personnel radios or COmms devicies are nt important, However following ur line of thought,its most likely better to place dis kind of device into the hands of special forces.but still if u experiment with ur eye piece at low volume with a song u will realize that ur situational awareness is nt affected.what i proposed simply is dat a trooper can wear single or double pieces attached to a branded android device with this app activiated and connected to the “main COMMs device” hence,ever word spoken within the platoon goes thru asingle medium.i wnt to clarify smthng to u.the G3 communication system used by S korea is a product of a couple of kids at a seoul high school,battalions of the us army in ww1 used pigeons to convey their msgs.if we want to be independent we need to try our own systens SHEKINA
Im no military expert but im thinking: why cant DHQ assign some of 3rd Div and 1st Div brigades to the theater. If indeed as im reading BH has swelled to 20,000 strong, we need to engage them on a 3:1 ratio that would mean around 60,000 to 75,000 troops The 7th Div is less than 25,000. Ogas they are getting bolder with every hamlet and village they have over run and hence drawing un-employed youths to their cause. It reminds me of when Rome allowed Hannibal unhindered encroachment into the east. As they conquered they recruited mercenaries from the local population (Spain and Gaul) to join them until they were almost at the gates of Rome itself. Since BH has grabbed territories they have now changed the rules to a conventional war. Isn’t that what NA excels at?
This may interest you my Oga:
FG urged to recall 10,000 sacked soldiers
PAUL OSUYI, Asaba
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Insurgency: FG urged to recall 10,000 sacked soldiers.
The Federal Government has been implored to urgently recall the over 10,000 Nigerian soldiers alleged to have been unjustly dismissed from the military since 1979 to assist in combating the rising insurgency in parts of the country.
The affected former soldiers, in a letter, also appealed to the National Security Council to look into the issues leading to their dismissal and temper justice with mercy by recalling them into the service, saying they had much to offer in the security sector.
According to the letter, the officers were trained in Nigerian Army Drill School, Zaria and other military institutions after which they were dismissed from service.
“Some of us have undergone several trainings in the Nigerian School of Artillery, Kachia, Kaduna State and acquired unquantifiable knowledge during these trainings,” the letter read in part.
Meanwhile, a security analyst has backed the appeal for the affected officers to be recalled, saying their re-absorption into the service would help in the fight against insurgency.
“Our government has deliberately abandoned over 10,000 of our well trained soldiers who were unjustly dismissed and we are crying wolf over insurgency by some elements. These military best hands should be re-absorbed to help contain the spread of insurgency,” the analyst stated in Asaba.
It was gathered that a process that was initiated by the former Chief of Defence Staff, Paul Dike, to review the cases of the affected officers with a view to re-absorbing them was suspended after some of them were recalled.
Congrats to NAF for recent acquisition and Oga Beegs well done o! for your exclusive.
oga Ocelant, i comprehend ur words bt i must let u know dat no matter how stupid an idea is.it always has a way of blowing over when overlooked.if u take a good look at the SOG in vietnam then u will understand my words.Buying radios yes we need that in large no but our achillies hill has always been purchase of these kind of equipment and their systems and still expect upgrades from its origin.i think its pure laziness to an extent.when we can create or improve on them..the process is simply this. the android smartphones will not use or have SIM inserted and for christ sake nothing will come from google or its affiliates cos the tendency of espionage is high.i insist on this becos i relate with programmer evry day and common sense will stipulate that encription will be a core structure of the apps.there will be no leaning on third party apps only
Dude. You say you’re a Computer Science undergrad, yet you’re spoke of apps with radar, mapping with Google maps? It’s not feasible to rest on the ‘oars of smartphones’ in battle. The battery life alone is a non starter, there are no emergency sockets.
Basic reasons that…
The use of mobile phones also relies on networks also which are actively knocked out everytime by BH. You said, ‘no sim’. Huh?
You need robust equipments too, soldiers wade through sand, mud, water and so. They’ll get stepped on, wacked on the floor, etc. How many mobile phones can…
*you
@ Kay, you have said it all. What the troops need are robust Comms systems, not fragile smart phones. Keep in mind that for the smart phone to work, it needs to connect to a Base Transceiver Station (BTS)/ Node – B, and ever since last year Boko Haram have been knocking out those along with Base Station Controllers (BSCs) of the service coys. You equally need a dedicated Public Land Mobile System (PLMN) just like the NPF, and I’m pretty sure that of the Police is yet to extend into these remote locations. What we should be talking about now is even SATCOMs with voice and data routed from battlefield to Field HQ via NIGCOMSAT. Issue Motorola/Harris radios with throat mics/headsets to the troops (platoon commanders, NCOs), and they can communicate with their team on one frequency and the company Commander on another. For Comms link to Abuja, use SATCOMS.
By the way, the SIM/USIM is an integral part of a smart phone or any mobile phone. Apart from storing user info (except the IMEI), the authentication keys are also stored on the SIM.
I don’t like all this NATO wahala, Ukraine and Russia are Nigeria’s current biggest weapons/equipment suppliers along with China. This current face off can affect Nigeria’s badly needed new war hardware, we are believed to have a ‘Defence Pact’ with Ukraine signed during our Bakassi era fear of France. Now we have a major war but Ukraine itself is at war, very little help can come. Russia is the more expensive option but NATO could spoil out show. China does not produce some of the heavy land and air equipment we need, they too buy from Russia.
Nigeria should have armed up since 1999 democracy rebound.
The best time to prepare for war time is peace time.
oga mcsheagz i hail ohh
u guys can help me by keeping this blog alive and runnig.everyday i keep glancing through the inciteful comments analysis and ideas et al.oga Beegz i bless the day i came across this blog.i have always been an aircraft crzy geek and my love for the NAF is intense.it is my dream calling sice i was a kid.i am working towards it although i dnt have any (“Godfather”) per say in the military.nothing will please me more than getting into NAF where i can let my mind wander to different solutions to issues.i believe this insurgency has opened the eyes of the military to the grt injustice they have done nigerian able and patrotic youths through their extreme bias in recruitment.
futhermore,this blog gives me imagination and conviction when i became frustrated with the military recruitment hicupps and wanted to give up my air dreams cos i felt i couldnt make it in.i continued to assimilate every information abt air combat tutorials and spec abt aircrafts and more resumed my simulators playing especially F-A18 hornet,jf-17 and mig21 joyful stuff though.
i sincerely believe dat any military officer dat comes to dis blog without learning a thing or two shuld urgently transfer his uniform to me cos i nid it
our prob in dis country today is dat our politicians and citizens are nt nationalist at all.i wonder a lot that Russia which has 5x the corruption nigeria supposedly has with tough nationalist leaders and populace regardless of their problems are willing to die for motherland.when i see nigerians destructively criticising and gleefully celebrating every stumble we make in this tough times i SMH.ask any somalian and libyan his greatest wish and u probably know his reply.yet we are intent on tearing this country apart .if we had tough nationalist ideals no matter hw large or bad our corruption per say is (“pardon me i dnt condon it in any form”) a lot of problems would have been avoided
the average nigerian thinks off only five things
get a job
buy a car
build houses
flex around
groan and complain abt the government and nigeria over bottles of beer and laps of women withou proferring any credibly solution RUBBISH
most of our youths nko: Gucci and armani brains,wizkid and banky mentality,no nationalist ideas.thank God for the few that has given this countyr hope.same withour politicians.
everybody rules over his own enclave without caring what happens outside their high fences alright when that snake escapes from the other compound where do u think it will head to?
nigeria will be great
we better become nationalist now or we will lament like the somalians…..finshed
oga beegz does this mi-35 carry mk-82 bombs despite its heavy tonnage
agm nko?
abeg nato respect ur self ohhhh bt wait if this is true then moscow now has an excuse to invade.as nato jets have been inching near russian airspace via poland..somebody wants malaysian airline again but with bigger propotions
Kay u posdible have heard of the words wifi and branded…any way I said it is just an improvized idea
No Sir. I may not hold a ‘tech degree` but I dabble heavily in it. The stuff you mentioned are not available on the battlefield. Just think about the fluidity of battle alone.
The closest to a communication system in this area would be a mesh network, works independently of mobile network resources. Though tried to use one on a mobile phone via ‘Serval Mesh’. Could never get it to work.
Best thing is handheld garmin/magellan for GPS and coordinates. Vhf/multi band encrypted Radio or a more expensive satellite radio.
Man portable radar or so as has been recommended here before.
Wifi? For that to work, you need to establish multiple hotspots. In a peaceful metropolis, great. But in a fluid battlefield, that’s almost impossible. And keep in mind the security challenges faced as the medium is wireless. It simply won’t work.
Greetings Guys, Oga Are James, Oje, Solorex, Gbash, Augustine,Xnurr, Pecavvi, igbi, Mcshegz,Bharat, Buchi,Ugobassey, Obix and Many others here…..no be say person no wan comment but its been great learning from everyone here….Since i got introduced to this Blog its been a daily source of info to keep having Faith in the military, just wanted to greet everyone, the most important thing is that the MI35M Have begun landing, personally i want to see 100 attack helicopters in our Airspace but even i know that is wishful thinking….my Question is since the Bad Israel Aerostar UAV deal why we have not looked into acquiring some from Russia or non NATO countries who will sell? a mix of attack helos and ISR drones or attack drones can help turn things around for good and also give us important info on Boko camps and installation for easy battle plan formation, if buying is not an option can we Fund NAFIT to at least develop both the Amebo 3 and Farawa 2 light trainer jets this will give us a strong Military complex, also any update on the Signed MoU the NAF signed with 14 universities in developing our own Fighter jet?….
The Chinese-built stealth drone (Wing Loong) is a UCAV(unmanned combat aerial vehicle) that is similar to the US Air Force Predator drone in performance and deployment, the FG should consider acquiring up to 12 units for the NAF so that it would be deployed to the NE immediately.
The US and its allies will NOT sell such high-tech weaponry to Nigeria. Imaging we wanted to buy tokumbo excess stock of MRPA and Hummvees vehicles that were returned from Iraq and Afghanistan operations but they turn down our request, again we wanted to buy 20 units of tokumbo AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters from Isreal,but the same US scuttled the acquisition,abi we shit for their compound ?
The US is not a friend to Nigeria at all, we should buy our weapons from Russia, China,South Korea and maybe Israel.
About time people in power recognize that the U.S is NOT a friend…
They will stab u in the back whilst ur head is turned…
….. why dont we just invite the USAF to pound Boko Haram positions day in day out for three days so we can end this once and for all. The USAF just took out Al Shahabs number one man yesterday. It is ridiculously simple, a look at how ISIS was inundated by a hand full of Naval F/A 18 fighter jets speaks volume on how potent and effective it will. They were 12 kilometers from Baghdad, now they’ve been pushed back. They can replicate this here, bomb them from the air while Nigerian army troops provide support artillery fire power and infantry troops go in and mop up the job. Its this easy believe me or not.
“why dont we just invite the USAF to pound Boko Haram positions”, because we are not the 51st state of the usa, neither was our government and armed forces propped up by the usa. And because we fight for our freedom, we don’t beg the usa to grant it to us. We’ve offered to buy their jets and they refused.
and finally because the us is playing a double game here.
Oga igbi, national pride comes second when it comes to survival. There is no shame in it, we need help, we cannot take them alone. Boko Haram is not doing this alone, they have sponsors and support, we also need support. Look at Ukraine, Iraq,Syria,Israel, there is a global Jihad going on, each trying to outdo the other by been more vicious and babaric,
Oga Oje. I respect your hustle sir.
Are you really suggesting that we allow another country to come drop bombs on our territory? HAhahahaha, omo, i’m very sure we will all be dead before any of that happens. Not just because its impossible but also because the Nigerian political class will never ever agree to such a plan, simple as that. Nigeria, which fought diplomatically and arm twisted African nations to gleefully reject the Africa command on African soil will now kowtow to that same country? Oga, relax small abeg, make you think this thing wella. If ever that happens, our pride as a nation will not only be bruised but everly dented. Yes, no country can fight terror alone, it takes collaboration, what Nigeria needs is more gunships and ISR assets, nothing more, Oga.
Supported. Nigeria’s political class may eventually agree to foreign bombing on their territory (they are truly not nationalistic and they would say to themselves that they are saving the money that should be used to buy weapons which to them is a waste) but Nigerians will reject it vehemently. As you have suggested, the answer is to equip the military properly first and do the right things. Even multi lateral efforts against terrorism have their limitations, UN/AMISOM efforts in Somalia may have to go on for a long time whereas a strong Somalian government would have solved the problem.
The only answer to terrorism is a strong national leader calling on the patriotic and unifying element to fight the problem the way Bush, Putin, the Sri Lankan and Algerians have done…. but our business men masquerading as gov’t?.. forget it, they would sign anything even in blood to make the problem go away but Nigerians are watching.
While I am overjoyed that NAF are finally receiving air-frames, I think they will be better off deployed as start up assets for Army Aviation. The King Airs could be used as medevac/light logistics aircraft with rudimentary surveillance capabilities while the MI-35s are used to provide direct over-watch for ground operations and rain 24-hour death on the Haramites.
To rapidly conclude this war, a garrison effort driven by a rapid surge in MOPOL and NSCDC numbers is needed across the NorthEast. These men should be armed and trained as gendarmes which is what MOPOL was established to be. They could be supported by concentrations of heavily-armed Army air and land mobile fire-teams that serve as hunter-killers to snuff BH out in their hide-outs 🙂
Oga are what is the loiter time of the mi-yf with drop tanks
MI 35M range is 500km. Ferry range (aircraft only without weapons) is 1000km.
With special drop tanks you probably achieve 900km combat range but then you can’t carry some required weapons. All distances within Borno State up to some towns in Cameroon are within range of the chopper with full weapon load if you base the choppers at Maiduguri. Using MI 35 effectively while securing them from attacks by Boko Haram is a big issue but the NAF is a resourceful institution.
Sure, but the problem then would be reaction time. we dont want them to take 1 hour to get to the battlefield where their services are needed.
Yeah gentlemen,
I am sorry, what I have been reading and hearing from home based sources, is that bama has fallen.
Other mainstream press agencies like the Times magazine are reporting the same. It’s not just a BBC thing.
They say folks and army families are escaping from maidugri . Showing little confidence in the protection NA can provide.
As much as I hate to say this, yet another one of my predictions, based on my analysis of the situation, is coming true.
If Beegeagle will queue up my relevant entries, it would be clear for all to see.
I had said months ago, that the 7th division based in maidugri was going to be evicted from it’s AOR, the way things were going.
Oga Tim’s sources seems to be more on point, Bama has fallen, and is being patrolled by BH rebels, who are refusing people the right to bury their dead.
Unfortunately, the arrival of these handful of Mi-35Ms, can be likened to medicine after death.
I have heard from a chief Judge of northern extraction visiting my “neck of the woods” that things are so horrible.
It looks like NAF can only count on one “Bomber”
However, All is not lost, if Nigeria will finally wake up from it’s suicidal slumber.
ALL HANDS AND ALL OPTIONS MUST NOW BE ON DECK,
OR WE WILL SOON BE OUT OF A COUNTRY.
For those who are quick to call me an alarmist on this blog, be honest with your selves, which of my predictions have I gotten wrong ?
Nigeria needs foreign “public” help, we need foreign “private” help.
Basically NA needs to fall back from the northeast, reinforce the neighboring states to contain BH’s attempt to “break out” , then regroup with every tool available and all our national might to surround and reinvade the NE.
This is basically the biafran war in reverse.
NA must be strong enough to temporarily take territory in niger, cameroun and chad if necessary to totally get to the root of BH’s power and it’s reinforcements.
GEJ needs to be possessed by the spirit that led general Gowon during the civil war.
“NO MATTER THE GRIEVIANCES, OR THE IDEOLOGY, NIGERIA MUST REMAIN ONE.
PRESIDENT GEJ IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SPEND TENS OF BILLIONS USD TO EFFECTIVELY REBUILD OUR MILITARY, NIGERIA WILL SURELY FAIL, AND YOU WOULD HAVE FAILED NIGERIA.
Bama has not been fully retaken by the NA.
The Nigerian Army has the town almost besieged and forces have been doing probing attacks and withdrawal from a nearby community some kilometers to thebplace.
NAF are doing air a lot of strikes. The Americans are seeing the whole thing unfold via satellite and have implied as much that Bama has not been retaken at the bilateral security meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The NAF is rightfully bombing the whole of Bama Town to shege (excuse the funny expression) to destroy and degrade BH. But now even the governor of the state has joined his deputy to tow the line in agreement with the President and say that Bama never fell which though positive in terms of inter party cooperation is still not telling us the truth. Those statements are better made in Bama town in front of the press and TV cameras. There is an arterial link to Gwoza and other places that BH captured that is providing lines of supply for their siege on Bama and making them more dug in. Those places should be bombed to kingdom come, we will do reconstruction in full later.
I disagree with going for foreign help at this point. This is just Boko Haram for chirst sakes. Let the people in charge do their jobs, buy their equipment, train (as we hear the NAF has started doing) and go through the grind to gain experience. We may need PMCs for just training.
In a sense one is happy with regrets about loss of lives that all this is happening suffice it to say we will never allow our defence posture to ever go down again after demolishing Boko Haram finally this year which is very possible.
Oga Are James if your story above is true, then it is BAD NEWS….we are destroying our own half a million man city to purge out invaders when we had initial control of the city. If it takes one week to clear Bama, no wonder people fear for Maiduguri.
Boko Haram is becoming strong like ISIS.
Babangida killed NAF because of coup plotters.
Nigeria felt good with trainer Alpha jets for over 30 years until some bearded illiterate terrorist showed us they can defeat all our Alpha jets with battleground tactics.
One NAF chief of staff was boasting at a conference about how Nigeria has perfected the use of her toy-like Alpha jets to ‘perform the role of F-22 Raptor’ in year 2013.
Another government official boasted NAF is the most versatile air force in the whole world as if American, British, Chinese, Israeli, and Russian air forces have become inferior to the Nigerian air force overnight.
You claim to be a very tall man with your short legs abi? Self deception.
We don’t even know what we have or don’t have, has anybody ever seen those 10 or so NAF Mi-171 armed terminator transport helicopters in real photos? Secret secret abi? Well we need them to move troops and ammunition for rapid reinforcement.
We urgently need for Boko Haram-ISIS style war, at least :
18 units new Mi-35M Hind E helicopter gunships (Ordered 6, need to order 12 more)
18 units older Mi-24P helicopter gunships (Current 10, need buy second hand 8 more)
24 units Super Tucano COIN aircraft (Urgent need buy 12 second hand and wait for 12 new)
6 units Beechcraft 350ER ISTAR aircraft (With full multi-mission equipment)
36 units Mi-171 terminator armed troop/equipment transport helicopters (If we don’t have them for real, go buy second hand urgently, we need minimum of 36 units)
We can add more to all these, especially medium and heavy lift transport helicopters.
Make sure we buy large quantities of laser guided rockets and bombs for all these helicopters and aircraft or else we will remain a 1940 World War II military force that will be dribbled around town by Boko Haram ! American laser guided weapons are destroying ISIS armour and vehicles in Iraq like fire roasts suya meat !
NAF needs to be this strong before we can have the true value of air power advantage.
We warn you Federal Goverment and Senate, Boko Haram is rapidly growing strong like a Nigerian version of ISIS, they now hold multiple territory for weeks and could be months !
America had deployed 100 modern aircraft to fight ISIS. This will add to the several squadrons of modernized jets fighters and combat helicopters plus armed ISTAR aircraft of the Iraqi air force currently available and being purchased/ordered.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/08/iraq-air-campaign-ships-aircraft/13792573/
Thank you T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Oga Doziex, Bama has not fallen. The media you are reading copy each other with little verification. So you are only reading copies of the bbc rubbish, and for civilians leaving maiduguru, if that is true then you are witnessing the reach of western propaganda and the consequences of letting it occupy your cyberspace and airwaves.
Oga. Igbi.
I hope to the heavens you are right, and it is all western propaganda.
I have never called you an alarmist. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Oga DozieX. I respect your hustle sir.
When you say Bama has fallen, what do you mean by fallen? i think that’s the main point of contention, what is your definition of fallen? is it that, they are now living there, gyrating and building houses? is it that they have now settled there, breeding babies and raising families? is it that they now have their own separate government in Bama? is it that they now control all geographical space know as Bama? because me i don’t understand oh Oga, please enlighten us from all the so called sources that you apparently have sir.
They are said to be patrolling the streets.
Oga DozieX. I respect your hustle sir.
Ehen, Oga, so which streets are they patrolling, we need names abeg, dont be shy, how many of them patrol one street? When do they hand over to the next command of boko patrol team? and where do they go and rest once they have been relieved of duty? Please Oga, share with us, let us know, so that we can pass the message along.
Chief, we had this back and forth over giwa barracks did they overrun it ? or didn’t they ?
Eventually, BH themselves cleared it up with video evidence.
Then it was Gwoza captured or no ? Well it’s now their uphill HQ.
Did NA troops flee to cameroun or not ?
All dis nah too much yarn. The dye has been cast on this battlespace for several months now.
Due to thin skinned vehicles and poor TTPs, many of NA troops, got killed by mainly AA guns as their patrols got ambushed.
So the revolted, nearly killed General “Bandit” Mohamed for sending them on vulnerable patrols.
So patrolling, stopped, or was done timidly, since we had little to no aviation assets, as the mi-24s had relocated to PH, reconnaissance flights became also nonexistent.
So no patrols, + no recon flights = a loss of orientation about the battle space.
So, NA lost the initiative, hunkered down in bases, while BH dominated the roads in convoys of trucks, captured APCs and technical. They attacked isolated FOBs at their choosing, they invaded villages like chibok and kidnapped young girls, they razed several villages and small towns to the ground.
With captured NA equipment and influx of mercenaries from neighboring states, they only grew in strength, whereas NA had very little situational awareness.
Then they laid in on the bigger towns Damboa, gwoza, Buni Yadi and now Bama.
We all know maidugri is next.
Since Nigeria seems incapable of really dramatic acquisitions, or influx of troops, only a miracle will stop the 7th from being evicted from Maidugri as is already happening in it’s environs.
That has been my analysis of the situation for months, I hope I am proven wrong. Only time will tell.
Oga DozieX. I respect your hustle sir.
Oga, you’re the one who seems to come to conclusions much easily based on unproven facts, that’s all i’m saying oga. No need to derail the point at hand which is Bama, you came out categorically to say and assert that Bama has fallen hence my probing questions, obviously i knew you would result to the tactic of widening the scope of argument beyond timely comprehension. The basis for my question was your use of the verb Fallen, what does it mean, to which you replied bokos are patrolling the streets, hahaha, oga, can you imagine that line of thought, then i asked for particular street names and routine of bokos since you seem to know that they patrol streets, to which you responded with this derailment to the very precise and direct question i posed to you. Oga, I do not doubt the fact that DHQ has some improving to do, every nation does. But when you repeat specific words used by the marauders and their affiliates, it only behooves me to sensibly argue those words out of you, it is my responsibility to make sure that you know the implications of the words you use and how it flies in the face of logic. Oga, na we we dey here oh, there is no gain spouting what cannot be verified and ascertained, its for your own good, its to protect you from people like me who would continue to probe until you realize maybe you shouldn’t have said it in the first place. Arguments to the notion that 7th Division may or may not be sacked is another issue entirely, to which you are entitled to your opinion. Oga, dont make the story sweeter/bitter than it really is, the only way you can do that is to support arguments with facts, if not, best dribble carefully and with extreme caution sir. Bama is Nigerian territory oga, unless and until Nigeria needs a visa to travel there, all other things are null and void, shey you catch my drift.
Oga Doziex, I am worried about the sources you believe in, Giwa barracks was never overrunned. Some of the terrorists managed to penetrate the perimatre, but the military dealt with them and the terrorists ran away. Many of the terrorists were killed by the army. You should stop basing your knwoledge on boko haram propaganda.
Oga doziex, stop putting your support behind any story depicting Nigeria in a bad light.
Nigerian soldiers never ran to cameroon, cameroon itself came and made that correction.
*never overran*
oga Mcshegz,
look here, read everything I wrote, get my gist, then respond.
I don’t have time to play childish ping pong with anyone.
I was told 1st had from a visitor from that part of the country, that the rebels were in town.
I read in a growing number of reputable news outlets, that the town have been overran
we have been posting and opining back and forth, fallen or not fallen.
So I moved the debate further.
The long and short of it, is that NA has to rearm SERIOUSLY, Then reengage to take the NE.
They (BH) has the initiative and it’s only a matter of time before the inevitable happens.
So as military analysts, what should we do ??
Debate whether the town is half fallen, three-quarters fallen, temporarily taken or whatever, Mind you NA could clear any of this up if they wanted.
But from my sources, public sources, and 20 years of following NA and their habits, the dye is cast, any analyst worth a damn, could tell you NA is seriously on the backfoot , and on the verge of been completely routed from this AOR.
Every body (Analysts) is of that opinion NOW, the difference however is, I said here it would happen, several months ago and I gave my reasons.
I would put my track record, and the accuracy of my analysis against any other blogger here.
Right now, you and Oga Igbi can dig your heads in the sand, if you want, but when my analysis proves write, do the honorable thing, and acknowledge it.
Especially, since you all have so much to say now.
That is what is missing from this blog. Accountability. Folks need to be held accountable for their opinions, when it is proven right or wrong.
That foresight, based on accurate analysis, is what truly differentiates the analysts from the noise makers.
oga 007 its a shame that you call the president, the governor and his deputy the NM AND the people of borno all liars in preference to foreigners … Ican niether confirm nor deny that story bt I hope U dont overstretch your crusade…
@Startek,
If this was meant for me I will respond as follows:
Bama has not been fully retaken is what I posted here. Please read that carefully. I waited till the last moment to express my opinion which I am entitled to and which is very well considered. Some people also have opined that Bama was never even TAKEN which they are also entitled to. This is not about a crusade. It is a YES/NO thing. The local press is 50% divided on this matter and have been carrying BBC reports and ‘verbal interviews’ of supposedly Bama citizens. What swung my opinion in the direction of what I wrote are subtle hints from the Americans, digging into DHQ’s own narrative of events on ground and all the feverish reinforcements being done in Maiduguri.
Bama is a town in Naija, not Cameroon. The DHQ has combat cameramen who can provide a 10min clip of the situation on ground to clear the air and put everybody’s mind at rest. This is a good way of combating the so called disinformation coming from UK, US, France, Cameroon, Republic of Samoa and all other countries of the whole wide world that people have been complaining about.
BTW it is not my shame that I did not believe the statements of the deputy governor and much later the governor of the state. It is the pathetic reality of where we are now. I want you to think about that. Curiously the statement was made at a displaced persons camp containing fleeing residents of affected communities including Bama itself.
Well said.
my opinion is that the forces up north need to be revamped. yes, we are in the middle of a bitter COIN campaign, but the NA need some reorganization asap.
personally, i would call for the RELOCATION OF THE 7 DIV. take the entire Div out of the theatre. i mean the whole Division! this should include pre existing armoured brigades in yola and maiduguri. they can come up with whatever excuse they want. just relocate the Div. The 7 Div should be brought down to the south, PH or Calabar maybe. a new task force should be formed solely for COIN in the tri-states. with the cessation of combat, the pre-existing brigades can return to the home formations. but for the duration of the ongoing campaign, they should all be replaced by a special joint task force.
a task force with a 2 star general as commanding general. irrespective of the branch (would be NA naturally), he should be assisted by a COS and other operational staff. currently, it doesn’t seem as if there is any staff work going on in the borno theatre.
this task force should be between 25K – 30K officers and men, combined arms, plus whatever the NN, NAF, and other para military groups can bring to the theatre. every Div in the army should contribute towards this troop strength with the exception of the 7 Div. This other five divisions can each bring 5000 officers and men every four to five months tour. with troop strength of 25,000 major cities such as yola, maiduguri, and damaturu, should have brigade size garrisons. for operational concept lets drop the brigade and battalion and use battle groups and combat groups in the theatre.
there should be a pre-deployment training for every single combatant that would be sent to the NE. whether 6 or 8 weeks, this training should be adequate to face the current realities up north, and not some UNPKO pre deployment programme.
with a battle group comprising 2,500 officers and men, including combat support, each state can have at minimum, 3 battle groups. with one battle group delegated to garrison duties in the capital city (should also be rotated too), the other two battle groups should be the manouevre strike force in each state. of course, borno being the epi centre of the current onslaught, should have at least 4 battle groups.
each of these battle groups should be further divided into combat groups, made up of 4 coys. the battle groups can be commanded by Cols or brigadier generals. and the combat group by Cols or Lt Cols. each coy by major or senior capt. they can keep the platoon and section as standard. however, each coy must have at least one support platoon made up of pioneers, mortar and other weapons units.
the main purpose of this is to temporarily drop the conventional linear structure. and go for a more learner, flexible, and highly mobile combat groups that will be extremely aggressive and offensive minded.
with the expectant rise in firefights and heavy demand put on the sojas, the men should be rotated every 4 or 5 months. not exceeding 5 months in the NE. after the first rotation, troops from 7 Div (now based in a different geographical area with their own AOR) can be included in successive rotations.
at the unit level, each combat group would be assigned an FOB, with improvised dirt strip for fixed wing aircraft, HAG group for helos, artillery battery and mortar company (including heavy 120mm mortars), medic, assault pioneer, recce, and many more field assets. the units under these combat groups, acting as gardesmobile would make regular sweeps of the badlands, and push fighting patrols aggressively to deny the terrs ground. these grounds should not all be occupied by the army. it would suck in too much manpower. rather the police and civil defence corp should pull their collective weight and man these lines, while the army remain fully mobile. apart from the city garrison, FOBs, improvised outposts and checkpoints, the task force should not engage in any hamlet guard duties. except in cases of local tactical situations, sentry duties in villages should be left strictly to the paramility groups.
this task force would require a number of squadrons of fixed and rotary wing assets. we must invest in helicopters and light liaison aircraft if we are to defeat the terrs and win this war. without air assets, mobility and aggressive patrols would be inefficient. i really don’t know why NA is not investing in UAVs. mini and micro UAVs would go a long way in assisting unit commanders tactically. And please deploy MLRS. their saturation rockets would be hell for the rag tag bokos.
this war demand that we show real aggressiveness. it is the major factor that we are currently lacking. the level of operational effectiveness is still lacking due to this key factor.
also, a special operation task force (SOTF) specially dedicated shock troops to assault difficult terrains, should form an organic part of this corp.
if possible, the defence ministry should procure LUH and LAH for SF operations which would give them more operational flexibility. currently, the special forces are not being utilized to their full capabilities. recce is still not being taken very seriously. you cant be ‘surprised’ by an invading army with dozens of vehicles if your recce assets are in place. you also can not blindly attempt an offensive when the exact deployment and structure of the enemy is unknown. no one fights blind or deaf. we really need to take combat intelligence as serious military branch.
inspite of everything written here, without attitudinal change, we would be going nowhere anytime soon. we really need to embrace the current challenge, and if we sincerely believe the war is campaign is worth fighting, then by God we should please do our honest job and fight this war with the zeal it deserves.
i know all these would take time, and the army is not known for radical reorganization of ORBAT. however, i sincerely believe the current battle formations of 7 div is poor and the division itself has served its usefulness as a combined arm formation capable of independent aggressive combat operations. there is need for a rebound. whether they revert back to the old JTF orbat, or they call it another name, it is vital that they overhaul the units currently serving up north.
discussing weapons and tactics is for another day. NA’HQ just need to face this challenge with determination, grit, and a winning mentality.
kudos to the brave men fighting for the soul of this long suffering giant of Africa. viva Nigeria. long live the FRN.
30000 men at minimum including MOPOL elements for the Gwoza sector. I don’t think BH is just 5000men like we were led to believe. There is a ratio of manning required for taking territory from an entrenched opponent. Relocating 7Div out of AOR is supported, the division is partly compromised and war weary. Air strikes should be unrelenting
You have spoken .I would rotate brigades out, one at a time.Then form a division from scratch in Ilorin and then base it in Adamawa. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
…..random situation. NATO sending a strong message. 300 U.S troops leave for Ukraine, NA TO sending a 3 thousand Rapid Response troops. Western Alliance sending a clear message…can Russia bare it’s fangs in an economic, military war with the Western Alliance?
That has nothing to do with this blog or, the topic at hand.
NATO dis western nations dat.Ukraine will only suffer bcos even China and Cuba above all Iran will all like to join.and do not forget Russia is also in d Shanghai cooperation,which is a response to d so-called NATO
Do you think there is an actual plan by US and Europe to defeat Russia conventionally in the Ukraine?. I think not . The path they are leading them to is more dangerous. They want them bogged down there in an LIC or maybe a small conventional war little like what happened in Afghanistan and with the sanctions in place then the economy starts to give way. War is sweet from the pyrotechnic point of view but the economic misery that it can bring is not glamorous at all. Russia is a more capitalistic country now than the US and Europe so they need trade…any economic pressure is going to hurt.
Already the oil market is about to be manipulated to bring down prices in the short term then establish supply to Europe from elsewhere. This is going to be bad for Russia. I think eventually Putin will not fall into the trap and rethink his strategy.
and if Russia economy fall so is Germany’s economy also and Europe will not want DAT.besides winter is around d corner so Europe will play wisely leaving d Ukrainian s to dere own fate
Hopefully with the ceasefire in Ukraine we will get our trapped defence equipment real quick.
How many fighters/men and how many anti-aircraft guns does Boko Haram have, and what is their source of regular fuel supply to drive vehicles around for 4 years, does Boko Haram own an oil refinery ????
.
You guys are going pro Russian because it’s the new fad to be anti American. These guys shot down a civilian aircraft with 200 on board just to make a point. They invaded Ukraine just 24 hour after hosting the So chi Olympics. They annex *Crimea*. Emboldened by the clearly weak Western Response they are arming the pro Russian Rebels trying to carve out more territories in the East, all because Ukraine was gonna join the European Economic alliance? AMERICA can god their arms and watch Russia strangle Europe after all its not theor border right?
It will be a big mistake for anybody to support Russia just because she’s seen as the big opposition to US and EU dominance of global issues. Every case should be treated individually. Russia itself doesn’t care for anyone except herself. Take this from someone on the ground and understands Russian mentality too well. Like i always say, i don’t want to get involved with this Russian-Ukraine crisis for obvious reasons, moreover this is a Nigerian blog. The only this here for us to see is that there’s a big lesson for Nigeria to learn from this crisis. There are comparisons: How Russian acted on Crimea (Bakassi comes to mind), how you should not disarm your armed forces even at time of peace like Ukraine did (the state of our armed forces in the fight against BH comes to mind). By the way, a ceasefire has been reached on the Ukraine war. Have a great weekend, generals!
oga OBIX
I am a Nigerian – American and I am proud of it.Mark words in MARBLE: The Ukraine/ Russian war ESSENTIALLY is over Crimea was the price of Snuggling up to the E.U. it really was never Ukraine’s to begin with. Donestk or whatever is left of it with become semi – whatever . this is the dirty deal for becoming more European than Russian. The US with their dysfunctional foreign Policy led by left -wingers have no intention of going to WAR with Russia and China at the same time. Over here foreign and defence policy is contained and controlled by the lefties in the state dept.
The US has proved to be consistent in their unreliability this is coming from me. The US did not supply isis with weapons however they supplied the countries in the gulf ( S/ ARABIA, QATAR, UAE ETC, ETC) who then gave money and support.
When it comes to Nigeria ,/ Iraq the us could do a lot more , they have been consistent in being schizophrenic and CONSISTENTLY DYSFUNCTIONAL. Nigeria with their under performing govt is the perfect match for the US, they can confidently say look at your President he not doing enough why do you expect more from us, you need at a minimum of 24 assault Helios yet they are coming in trickles what is the problem? you need three fully armed divisions in the North you have less than 24,000 troops there.
When the IRAQI GOVT angrily demanded their planes that they paid you WHO REPLIED ?……. The state dept ……. The planes will be IRAQ in SEPTEMBER well we are in September, the planes are still parked in wherever Stateside, and everyone is rejoicing about how many airstrikes the US carried today……… except the state Dept…… By the way it took Russians less than a week for them to send their helios to land in BAGHDAD
I personally do not care whom N
Boko Haram have 30,000 fighters, they have a hand full of anti aircraft guns, many self propelled, from Libya after the fall of Gaddafi, a few stolen from Nigeria bases. 6 Tanks, hundreds of Machine gun mounted HilluX vehicles, a hand full of APCs, hundreds of RUG and grenades. 6 ARTILLERY GUNS and hundreds of Mortar Rounds. Now that they have carved out territory allbeit temporary they are acquiring mines and Improvised explosive devices. These guys are quick to adapt to any scenario to make it in their favour. The only thing they cannot out manneouver with numbers is control of the sky we are making little of this asset. In the U.S military before a ground offensive the airforce are the first to go in taking out air defence and other heavy weaponry, softening the ground before the soldiers go in. Here our army charges headlong into offensives without real time Intel on enemy positions and strength., worse, with zero aerial support.
Is this figure not a little high?. Who has been feeding these men for four years?
http://www.punchng.com/news/cds-gives-update-on-emergency-rule/
OGA ARE JAMES
I personally believe your position there are parts of BAMA that is virtually no MAN’S LAND
BH believe it is a badge of Honor to bury their dead with bodies littering the street is the first clue they are also not in control.
By this weekend the picture should be much clearer. idiot video has not produced his weekly video for bbc their TV station because he IS NOT IN BAMA.Look for it in the coming weeks
Parts of BAMA have been reduced to rubble because it appears this is the first SUSTAINED? BOMBING BY THE NAF again not reported by BBC
Let the f.g. , show who is in control of BAMA if we do not see anything by Monday then we know they the f.g. is not in full control.
oga obix look for my summary later.
@Oga Jimmy, i’m eagerly waiting for your summary. But, have in mind that i’m neither pro US nor EU. My point is that Russia herself is never trustworthy and can make a U-turn before you blink. I’ve spent the last 27 years in this region (of cause with regular visits home) and i know how these people think even when they are asleep. I have a lot of friends fighting on both sides and it makes me sick. I don’t trust the US/EU the same way i don’t trust Russia. We need to protect our own interests as we deal with any of them.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/capture-of-borno-towns-reputation-of-nigerias-military-at-stake-us/
IF BAMA is not in full control OF THE F.G. by Monday then look for idiot video with his tv network BBC to start producing VIDEOS
on the political front it………. appears those who have the purse strings are meeting/ met on Friday. People to watch SEIKIBO, DAVID MARK, SALEH, oga beegs you need to invite Saleh TO THIS BLOG.
*The NAF needs to recall recently retired personnel who were in good standing back to services.
The President needs to stop taking advice from a two FORMER HEADS OF STATE OBJ and IBB were part of the problem AND ARE MOST DEF not part of the SOLUTION.
*Who are part of the problem*
Breaking News from Africa-Defense.com
More Nigerian Troops Flee to Cameroon
by African Defence Admin • September 5, 2014
Cameroon’s military says some 400 Nigerian soldiers have sought refuge in the country after fleeing intense fighting against Boko Haram militants in Nigeria’s Borno State.
Cameroon state radio reports that on Wednesday [September 3] the soldiers arrived at the Cameroonian border town of Amchide, where they handed their weapons to military officials.
Cameroon military spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck told VOA the military accepted the soldiers as a sign of its commitment to fight the militant alongside Nigerian forces.
Speaking in French, Badjeck described challenging situations in war that cause troops to flee, and that Cameroon has demonstrated that it is a nation that assumes its responsibility to those in harm’s way.
Last week 480 Nigerian soldiers crossed over to Cameroon, ostensibly in “hot pursuit of Boko Haram militants.” Two-hundred forty-six of them have since returned to Nigeria.
The Nigerian military said that development was a tactical maneuver but has made no comment on the latest movement of soldiers crossing the border.
In May, Cameroon’s information minister said President Paul Biya and his Nigerian counterpart, President Goodluck Jonathan, had been communicating as part of a collaborative effort to defeat Boko Haram militants by sharing intelligence and allowing troops to pursue militants across borders if necessary.
Reports out of northeastern Nigeria this week say Boko Haram has taken control of more towns in Borno state.
Wednesday news reports on Cameroon state radio said, “Boko Haram fighters have captured the Nigerian town of Banki as government troops fled and fears have been raised that their main target is Maiduguri, the capital of northeastern Borno state.”
Last month, Abubakar Shekau, head of the Nigeria-based militant group, announced creation of an Islamic caliphate in the region.
As reported by Moki Edwin Kindzeka for the Voice of America
Breaking news from Reuters News – World – Africa Section
Nigeria sends in warplanes against Boko Haram in northeast
By Felix Onuah
ABUJA Fri Sep 5, 2014 11:08am EDT
(Reuters) – Nigerian warplanes are carrying out air strikes against Boko Haram militant bases in northeast Borno state, a senior official said on Friday, in a government counter-attack against the group’s apparent drive to create an Islamist enclave.
The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters Nigeria’s military was battling Boko Haram fighters at Bama, 70 km (45 miles) southeast of the Borno state capital Maiduguri.
Air strikes have been carried out “on all the Boko Haram bases”, the official said, adding this reflected President Goodluck Jonathan’s order for a “fully-fledged war” against the group which has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009.
Military spokesmen have denied reports Bama was overrun by heavily armed militants earlier this week after they attacked it with captured military vehicles and pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns, all part of a growing Boko Haram arsenal.
“Bama today is the center of the military battle with the terrorists … Boko Haram is being repelled by the Nigerian troops as we are talking now,” the government official said, without giving details of the operations or casualties.
Nigeria’s air force and defense headquarters did not respond to requests for comment and it was not immediately possible to obtain independent confirmation of the fighting.
The battle over Bama, and Boko Haram’s storming of towns and villages to the north, east and south of Maiduguri in recent weeks, has raised fears of an attack on the Borno state capital, prompting hundreds of civilians to flee.
“Even today, we can see so many people leaving … the buses are going out plenty now,” Musa Sumail, a human rights activist in Maiduguri who reports on the violence in the northeast, told Reuters. He said he had seen at least one or two Nigerian government fighter jets in the skies above Maiduguri.
Boko Haram, whose leader Abubakar Shekau last month declared a “Muslim territory” in the northeast after capturing the town of Gwoza on the Cameroon border, is believed to be trying to mimic the example of Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq which announced the creation of a separate caliphate there.
Jonathan’s government, which faces an election in February, has come under sharpening public criticism for its apparent inability to check Boko Haram’s five-year insurgency, which has ravaged the poor northeast corner of Africa’s biggest economy.
The group has also claimed shootings and bombings across the north and, more sporadically, in the federal capital Abuja and even in the southern commercial hub Lagos. The attacks have not reached the southern oilfields of Africa’s No. 1 crude producer.
“REALITY CHECK”
The United States is among several western allies helping Nigeria’s military with training and intelligence support. This was stepped up following international outrage over Boko Haram’s brazen abduction in mid-April of more than 200 teenage schoolgirls in the northeast. The girls are still missing.
In a speech to a security meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa said Bama’s “apparent capture” by Boko Haram and the threat of an assault on Maiduguri was a “sober reality check” for Nigeria and its allies.
“We are past time for denial and pride,” Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that Shekau’s announcement of an IS-style “caliphate” showed how much the Nigerian security situation had worsened.
U.S. officials say more extensive security cooperation has been hampered by persistent allegations of human rights abuses leveled against Nigeria’s army, which it denies, and Nigeria’s sensitivity about outside meddling in its affairs.
“The reputation of Nigeria’s military is at stake,” Thomas-Greenfield said, pledging U.S support for a border security initiative involving Nigeria’s neighbors Cameroon, Chad and Niger which will try to prevent Boko Haram from extending its control over these remote frontier zones of the lower Sahel.
The Sunni jihadist movement, whose name means “western education is forbidden”, has killed thousands since launching an uprising in 2009. Counter-terrorism experts say links exist between it and other Islamist groups, such as al Qaeda’s North African franchise and Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, but there has been little evidence so far of extensive cooperation.
In Nigeria’s February polls, southerner Jonathan is expected to seek re-election. Many believe political tensions stemming from the historic rivalry between Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south is also stoking the violence.
(Additional reporting and writing by Pascal Fletcher in Lagos; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Let us stayed tuned. Gentlemen it appears this is going to be one bloody weekend.To the Naf for God’s sake please let it rain . T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
I think the BH would have been flushed out by this weekend judging by the body language of the CDS and what he said in front of the Senate committee. FG should consider making a 10min video to update the nation …this is very important. The Bama battle would be the subject of a presidential address followed by daily MOD briefings if such happened in the US or any other country with respect for its people.
No invitation should be given to the foreign or local press to Bama under any circumstances. They will see the effect of bombing/shelling and make mileage out of it.The governor trying to persuade people to go back to Bama should pipe down for now.
The president should be more visible in the war. There should be a national rallying call against terrorism based on the ratcheted up Boko Haram actions and land grab, we need off the cuff addresses, chats with press, presidential visits to military formations even if not those in the NE. This is necessary for military morale.
Personally I wish I was running the country. This kind of crisis is what a politician uses to shine and it does not even matter if you are winning or losing. Some of us said we don’t believe DHQ and we were right, if we had said we didn’t believe the President that would actually be near treason.
BBC, VOA, AFP propaganda be damned when the man who swore to an oath of office tells his countrymen ..”this is what is happening”.
The three personalities you mentioned from the senate are becoming visible either because they have superior leadership skills and/or some godfathers have pushed them forward to do something ….very soon people will forget that they actually went on recess when we asked for $1bn. These are statecraft skills you don’t learn in school may God give us wisdom.
It feels like a cold day in hell. Kudos to the Nigerian Air force. Thank you sir Good luck Jonathan and the COAS. Please sirs, equip the army aviation with eighteen of these birds and the air force with another eighteen night hunter havoc chopper.
To the Haramites: Your night mares has just begun. Run while you still can.
Ps: Judging by the jubilant and ecstatic tone on this thread, I wonder what will happen when our combat jets and Tucano COIN turbo props gets unveiled ?
Oga Russell may God bless you till infinity o !
I think we are okay with Mi-35M Hind E Night combat helicopters, diverting to Mi-28 Havoc will create go slow in procurement, pilots flying hours/experience, ground support logistics, fresh maintenance complications, and a likely drag in NAF capability.
The Hind E has all we need for this war if combined with Super Tucanos.
Army aviation will be a medium term project, they have not been doing too well in their primary role as ground soldiers, if we give them the extra burden of managing an aviation arm at this crucial time, too many buttons go tear them shirt o !
Nigerian army air arm should heave been established and equipped 4 years ago when this war started, we will have to wait till we win this war, or else we go confuse our army with a new and major paradigm shift.
If I may suggest, can we split NAF helicopter force into two equal parts and place half under direct command of Nigerian army?
Your last suggestion is it. The current communications problem is just too much. Better to move some aircraft over synchronize radio frequencies do some exercises and u have an air arm.
The advantage is that on the battlefield you can plan the air component of the operations in a blended way and we also stop bombing our own people.
Any word on what platforms are involved in the strikes?
Alpha jets, f-7 air guards, and mi 24 hinds. For strategic reasons their numbers are classified.
Its cluster munitions away from the f-7s and alpha jets. The hinds are primarily lighting up the haramites technicals with s8 rockets and cannons.
I say if the Nigerian military doesn’t turn around this present failure, they would start losing credibility as a regional African power. I believe they can but sometimes I wonder if the reality of recent BH achievement has dawned yet on our military commanders. I know we need more equipment but we still outnumber these guys 10:1, our guys are professional combatants with good training and even with our so-called out dated equipment, its 10 times better than whatever BH has. What else do we need to throw into this mix to succeed?
This is no longer a failure if the NAF has finally bared its fangs. It only gets better from this point on. If Gwoza and other places are kept within the scope of operations and BokoHaram is denied movement on ground then its game over, make Dem go and try another business.
A more offensive posture by helicopter borne ground troops will wrap this up before December.
Lets see how the weekend and next week goes… I still have a lot of faith in our guys
Modern tanks, primairly the T90 or ask the brits nicely for some vickers with spare parts and clad with chobam. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Vickers tanks?. We have them, old clunky things that Abacha bought. They are still moving.
Yes they are and according to a brit who used to be a former tanker, they tend ti be the most accurate under sustained fire ,without the gun barrel getting warped. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Naija Vickers Eagle Mk III tank, only two human beings drive it on planet earth, a Nigerian and a Kenyan. IBB should have bought T-72.
Now we know Nigeria has no T-72 , na T-55 my grandfather’s clock I dey see.
We can manage our Vickers against Boko with Anti-RPG Protection Cage, we have 136 units of Vickers including the very rusted ones, they should lead attack into level ground and low gradient strongholds of Bokos, they can withstand anything Boko has to fire if we cage them round against RPGs, they will just pick off every Boko vehicle and heavy machine gun nest before our APCs roll in and spread assault troops around.
Seems Nigeria has lost its 75 units of EE-9 Cascavels ‘Recce tanks on tyres’ heroes of ECOMOG war.
Chei, Nigeria spoil soja !
@Ugobassey
The secret of BH lies in the media. All the international and local media reports have given BH a larger than life image, like a mythical figure. Thus psychologically, NA soldiers go into confrontation with these savages possibly with the mind-set of coming up against something unusual, unknown, something feared. BBC Hausa Service, to some extent the VOA, CNN, a long list of British tabloids, our home grown papers such as Vanguard, Premium times, and the rapaciously loquacious Sahara Reporters have done our fight against BH more harm than the haramists have been able to do to us. And as soon as these papers quote some dodgy ‘security source’ on any of the lies the churn out there, it becomes fact. Our soldiers, mentally have started to believe what is in the media, this state of mind coupled with the other issues such as lack of intel on the enemy, inadequate food rations, water, limited ammunition, MEDEVAC issues, back up, and re-supply problems deprive soldiers the concentration and determination required to tackle BH as they should.
As Sun Tzu once said ‘Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win’
My Oga much respect oh, but our media are trying to get the facts and with DHQ not giving enough info, holes are now filled up with assumptions. Take for example this week when there was so much confusion concerning who is in control of Bama; Channels tv said BH was while Thisday said the NA was……confusing
It is very hard to believe only few people are asking questions like how are they feeding 20,000 men if it is really true that they have grown to that amount and for the love of God they don’t own an oil refinery how are they fielding somany vehicles, wether stolen or not.
#Godbless
How do they communicate? I thought network was cutoff In the three states in state of emergency ? They obviously don’t send notes via pigeons or do they have satellite phones ?
Who has been supplying them weapons and am munitions for 4-5 years ! Forget whatever they have stolen from army
My broda, the devil wears blue jeans.
You see am before?
Believe.
@Keviadano
A group that is able to move 276 kidnapped anxious girls hundreds of miles inside Nigeria’s north east and across the Nigeria’s border with countries like Chad, Cameroun and possibly Niger could easily move weapons and fuel within areas they control.
I think Nigeria has the ability to tackle BH but there is a problem of coordination, and getting the basics right. Take for instance all the documented BH attacks on army barracks, they used the same tactics, sneak in with gun pic-up trucks, mellow the target, send them running, and their foot soldiers come in to finish the job.
It is surprising the army has not thought of erecting watch-towers and positioning at least two-snipers in this barracks. In our current battle with BH, getting the basics right could in fact be a force multiplier. Hopefully things will get better from here on.
Oga Russel, oya spill the beans. Have we gotten the much awaited combat jets?
Shame on you president Obama. The so called son of Africa.
Your white half, seems to be all that is important to you.
You administration has come up with every excuse in the book, not to truly help Nigeria, a long time US ally in it’s time of distress.
You have also come up with every excuse in the book, to help the Iraqi people.
You say Nigeria is corrupt, and has human rights issues, what of Maliki’s government ? It was corrupt , sectarian and dictatorial, and yet, you found a way to rescue the Iraqis, and every excuse not to help the Nigerians.
Do you think our refuges are less deserving ? BH is a mirror image of Isis. They are the same blood thirsty animals. THERE IS NO MORAL EQUIVALENCE BETWEEN BH AND the NIGERIAN SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT.
It’s true that Nigerian leaders are not worthy of that title, but Nigeria’s relationship with the US predates our poor excuses for leadership.
Turning your back on Nigeria in it’s time of need because of the Leahy law, which you gladly wave when it comes to Egypt, iraq and Saudi Arabia, would be remembered by the people of Nigeria.
President Obama, make an exception for Nigeria, the way an exception has been made for Iraq,
There are plenty of good people in the military and in the civilian elected class you can deal with.
Bypass the crooks and criminals if you must, but don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.
Step up for your fatherland, George W Bush would have done a lot better.
I speak to you sir as an American citizen of Nigerian decent.
Word.
Oga Doziex…..priority is based on skin color. You never notice? How many times way western nations done send foot soldiers or equipment to help sub Saharan Africa.
Thank you very much .Right a lot on my mind. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
The american government doesn’t look like a real ally, it seems to be a one way thing. We give them preference on the oil market and they give us some disarmed rusty boats from time to time and they refuse to sell us weapons. On the other hand, they sell those weapons to the arabs and they give egypt and israel those weapons for free. GEJ, please just kick the yanks out ! Perhaps we are not meant to be friends or allies or even business partners. Let them stop waisting our time.
Oga doziex, according to the unwritten constitution of the USA/EU, there are two different laws for different colours of skin, according to the white man, all animals are not equal. Obama is more white than black, his white grandparents trained him.
What matters the most in a fighter jet for NAF now, is Weapons load, Loiter time, and all weather day and night targeting.
Let’s just get upgraded SU-25s , Mi-24/35s and Su-24s. Used and affordable like the Sudanese airforce has been doing.
We have been imploring GEJ’s govt to do these things, for 3 years now.
When I joined this blog, I opined, that despite our tireless advocacy for NA to prepare for the rainy day, NA would still be caught with it’s pants down when the day of reckoning came.
Gentlemen, that day is upon us.
It’s funny how past behavior can accurately predict ones future actions.
From freetown to Bama, or is it freetown to maidugri, or may be freetown to Abuja, a chronology of avoidable mistakes and unlearned lessons.
Oga doziex, Mi-35M Hind E, Super Tucano, Su-25SM Frogfoot, MBB 339 CD, all four are good night combat capable attackers, and will all do a good job for us against Boko Haram.
IBB should have bought Su-25 in 1990s during Liberian war when we were struggling with Alpha Jets, using primary trainers as our ALL IN ALL jack of all trades ‘multi-role’ miracle worker.
IBB should also have used part of Gulf oil windfall $6 Billion to buy Su-27 Flanker air superiority jets when Britico wrecked out Jaguars.
IBB should also have bought Mi-24 Hind in that same era. Na him destroy NAF. and others after him decided to leave the spoilage the way they met it. If not for Boko Haram, na Alpha Jet go lead us to year 2020.
ugobassey says:
September 5, 2014 at 9:40 pm
I know we need more equipment but we still outnumber these guys 10:1, our guys are professional combatants with good training and even with our so-called out dated equipment, its 10 times better than whatever BH has.
Reply :
Big Point To ponder !!! I am speechless.
I suspect some of dem guys are hardened experienced mercenaries from chad, sudan and possibly mali.
If so, they have been fighters since their youth and can more than handle any green NA soldier.
“and can more than handle any green NA soldier.”
First of all they didn’t get the tough expert training Nigerian soldiers get.
Second of all Nigerian soldiers are selected among a population of 170 million and many want to join, so the level of selection is very high, the terrorists can not boast this quality.
All Nigerian officers have a bachelor degree and are schooled in strategy and manoeuvers. All Nigerian soldiers are given an intense training. You can’t say this for the terrorists. Nigerian soldiers are also very active, they have been doing peace enforcement all over Africa and internal security all over Nigeria, so they are very experienced. So your statement is not factual. Moreover spreading such belief can only serve the purpose of the terrorists, so please don’t say things like that again.
Don’t confuse the Nigerian army with the unexperienced iraqi army. Nigerian soldiers are battle tested and very well trained. It takes drugs to have the terrorists to go into battle. the terrorists also use human shields in battle. So your comparison is totally misplaced. What we need is the best strategy to fight against the terrorists and as well our military should not underestimate them, our military should fight them the same way it would fight a powerful country at war with us.
Marketing experts were in awe of the billions of pounds in free advertising that Osama bin Laden acquired through videos he released after the September 11 attacks in the United States. Terrorist attacks, like 9/11, 7/7 in London, and the 1972 Munich Olympics, are intended to attract the attention of the target audience with violent acts and images that “shock the conscience.” Once they have your attention, they deliver the message.
The video that the Islamic State (formerly Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS) released last night of American journalist Steven Sotloff, coupled with the release of video of James Foley last week, did just that: it shocked the conscience and delivered a message. According to YouGov , 83 per cent of the British population heard about the Foley video, 40 per cent saw a photograph of it, and 25 per cent saw or heard a clip of it. With media across the Atlantic also blasting news of the videos of Mr Sotloff and Mr. Foley’s violent murders, the numbers are likely similar in the U.S. As such, the Islamic State attracted a wide audience in the West.
The video’s message is clear. First, the Islamic State inflated its strength by speaking directly to President Obama and blaming him for Mr Sotloff and Mr. Foley’s deaths.
Second, the jihadists wanted to show that any Westerner, and particularly reporter, who enters Syria or Iraq without their permission will meet the same fate as Mr. Foley (notably, some journalists have been pushing Islamic State propaganda to maintain the “trust” of their valuable jihadist contacts).
Third, the jumpsuits forced on Mr Sotloff and Mr. Foley, which resembled what al-Qaeda in Iraq founder Abu Musa’b al-Zarqawi forced on American Nicholas Berg during his beheading in 2004, was a reminder of the Islamic State’s al-Qaeda pedigree.
Fourth, and finally, the Islamic State knowingly chose a murderer with a British accent to remind British Muslims of where the Islamic State believes their loyalties should stand. They also threatened to behead a British hostage next, which will only amplify coverage to British Muslims.
The Islamic State’s jihad on the Internet and airwaves is having remarkable success in attracting foreign fighters. There are now several thousand European Muslims and nearly 100 American Muslims fighting with the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Even majority Muslim countries that take pride in their moderate Islam, such as Kosovo and Kyrgyzstan, have seen dozens of their citizens join the Islamic State and even become leaders .
Indonesia, China, Kazakhstan and Nigeria are other countries grappling with how best to deal with jihadist propaganda and the role of the media in perpetuating it. In Nigeria, for example, three weeks after Boko Haram’s kidnapping of more than 250 Christian schoolgirls, the media time and time again broadcasted the leader’s threats to “sell” the girls as slaves . This enhanced the “marketing value” of the operation and elevated Boko Haram on an international scale, with groups like al-Shabab in Somalia for the first time praising Boko Haram. I wrote for Conservative Home last month highlighting the regional threat posed by the rise of Boko Haram and its supporters in Nigeria and West Africa.
More recently, Channel 4 ‘s Dispatches purported to show “systematic” war crimes of Nigerian troops, but neglected to say that most clips were of anti-Boko Haram vigilantes. Where ranks were identifiable, only the two stars of a Lieutenant were visible. This suggests the images, even if true and thus unfortunate, were not the acts of an organised division or army. Moreover, like Hamas , there was little context to show how in Boko Haram’s major operations, such as their assaults on Giwa Barracks or Baga, the militants deliberately attack and retreat through civilian compounds to ensure a large number of fatalities will be innocents caught in the crossfire.
The media must be aware that it can be a tool for publicizing the agendas of terrorists groups, even unknowingly. The UK and international media must strengthen internal due diligence and evaluate the impact of reporting Islamic extremist propaganda. In addition, all countries that are victim of terrorism and terrorism-related propaganda, whether in America, Europe, Africa or Asia, need to come together and develop a strategy to counter terrorist propaganda are recruitment on the Internet and in the mainstream media. This will ensure our enemies do not unduly benefit from the various press and other freedoms offered in civilised societies.
Jacob Zenn is an Associate Fellow of the Henry Jackson Society and the Jamestown Foundation. He is author of ‘Exposing and Defeating Boko Haram – why the West must unite to help Nigeria defeat terrorism’ published last month by the Bow Group.
http://www.skytrendnews.com/index.php/feature/feature-stories/3581-the-media-must-not-allow-itself-a-mouthpiece-for-terrorists-by-jacob-zenn
@ Augustine
My oga im as speechless as you are.
I try to comfort myself with Nigerian war history. When the Biafrans started their secession, Nigeria used ‘police action’ with theM. When they now crossed into the Midwest and a few miles from Lagos, the Nigerian military took off the kid gloves and the war ended in just 3 years…im hoping Nigeria is yet to take off the kid gloves with BH.
“U.S special operations forces helping fight Boko Haram in Nigeria”
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/30/opinion/bergen-mcraven-special-forces-influence/
If there is one thing I know it is that the uS is not helping Nigeria. That article is just some conspiracy theory.
@Igbi please explain further.
The only help the US offered us was to try and find the kidnapped school girls.
And even at that they did a poor job.
The guy you are quoting doesn’t know what he is talking about, although it fits the american attitude to believe that they were constantly saving the world.
boko homos were only recently declared a foreign terrorist organization by the USA and not because they wanted to help us, rather because denying that further would have been a threat to themselves. The guy saying that the us special forces are helping us, if he is not just speaking out of ignorance and belief in the absolute good of the usa then why didn’t he give specifics ? which us units are helping us ? how many ? obama is well known for always telling how many soldiers he sends to countries he sends them to, but in Nigeria’s case he didn’t say any number! In the case of Iraq ha kept updating americans on the number of special forces he was sending. The time Obama sent military personnel against boko haram, it was airforce personnel he sent to Chad so that they can fly their aircrafts from there and help locate the girls and of course the number of personnel was given.
The guy you are quoting doesn’t have any facts, he is just guessing !
have a nice day
I meant: “mcraven doesn’t know what he is talking about”
From Nairaland: SiriusBlack is hale and hearty. The chaps at the frontline are in high spirit. And the twisted reports from Sahara Reporters (and BBC) is mad. I think good portion of the new aerial platforms are in. I think something big may happen this weekend, or happening. May the Good Lord grant our fighting men His grace of protection, wisdom, courage and strength to fight the good fight and completely vanquish those satanic retards. IJN. Good morning to all the Generals, and a fine weekend to Generalissimo Beeg. I raise my glass to your brilliance Sir.
The one thing many don’t understand here is that at war, you listen to your brothers in DHQ and tune down the rest. Only official broadcasts matter. The airwaves and cyberspace are saturated with enemy propaganda. War is not a time to hold on to ideals such as “freedom of the press”, that is for peace time. Even Jacob Zenn is now raising the alarm about terrorist propaganda.
Amen.
God bless the Nigeria Armed Forces.
May God see our boys through the valley of the shadow of death.
For they shall surely overcome the evil sore in the north-east.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
From today’s Vanguard.
Boko Haram: Jonathan declares full-scale war ,deploys warplanes.
September 06, 2014: Headlines 9:50 am
By Kingsley Omonobi (With agency reports)
Nigerian warplanes are carrying out air strikes against Boko Haram militant bases at Bama, Borno State, a senior official said yesterday, in a government counter-attack against Boko Haram’s drive to create an Islamist enclave.
The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters Nigeria’s military was battling Boko Haram fighters at Bama, 70 km (45 miles) southeast of the Borno state capital Maiduguri.Army-Jonathan
Air strikes have been carried out “on all the Boko Haram bases”, the official said, adding this reflected President Goodluck Jonathan’s order for a “fully-fledged war” against the group which has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009.
“Bama today is the centre of the military battle with the terrorists … Boko Haram is being repelled by the Nigerian troops as we are talking now,” the government official said, without giving details of the operations or casualties.
The battle over Bama, and Boko Haram’s storming of towns and villages to the north, east and south of Maiduguri in recent weeks, has raised fears of an attack on the Borno state capital, prompting hundreds of civilians to flee.
“Even today, we can see so many people leaving … the buses are going out plenty now,” Musa Sumail, a human rights activist in Maiduguri who reports on the violence in the northeast, told Reuters. He said he had seen at least one or two Nigerian government fighter jets in the skies above Maiduguri.
We ‘ll do everything to defend our territorial integrity –Defence Hqtr
Indeed, the Defence Headquarters said the armed forces will do everything to defend the nation’s sovereignty.
In a statement by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information said, the armed forces said: “DHQ wishes to reiterate the pledge and commitment it made while briefing the Joint Committee on Defence of the National Assembly to the effect that everything will be done to reverse the situation and defeat the rampaging terrorists.
“While welcoming all the concerns shown by Nigerians and a section of the international community following the increased menace and activities of terrorists, it is necessary to reassure all that the Nigerian Armed Forces is more than ever determined and committed to the defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, regardless of any odd.
“It is not only the pride and reputation of the military that is at stake but that of the entire nation. We therefore urge our citizens not to lose hope or be disenchanted but to remain steadfast and supportive of the military as all steps are being taken to ensure the success of the counter-insurgency operations, especially at this crucial time when our sovereignty is being challenged.
“With this in mind, it is important to reiterate that the Nigerian military is fully conscious of its obligations to the Nigerian state and remains willing and ready to perform its duties with utmost diligence. Therefore, what the military requires at this critical period in the nation’s history is not pillories but continued support from all stakeholders and comity of nations.
“Indeed, this is not the time to despair or shift blames. Rather it calls for concerted effort by all and sundry to stop the agents of darkness who seek to destroy our country and civilization. On its part, the Nigerian military as a fighting force, assures Nigerians once again that this battle will be won.”
Military ‘ve killed 1,200 insurgents –AVM Marizu
Sharing this view, former Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command of the Nigerian Airforce, Air Vice Marshall Chris Marizu (rtd), yesterday, cautioned politicians against utterances that were capable of pitching the armed forces against the citizens they were supposed to protect noting that the military forces have killed 1200 Boko Haram insurgents in the battle for Bama, Borno State.
He spoke in the light of the current challenges in the counter-terrorism efforts in the North east which has understandably elicited a sense of apprehension among citizens and even foreign allies, as
He made the disclosure just as the President of Course 18 participants of the Nigeria Defence Academy, Air Commodore Olufemi Agbetuyi warned that it was high time the nation stopped mixing politics with security issues.
Speaking at the 18th regular course re-union in Abuja yesterday, AVM Marizu said, “People should know that some persons who have done so much for this country and the military institution cannot just be rubbished on the altar of politics.
“Some unscrupulous citizens of this country are using the advantages that they enjoy under democracy to malign the military with innuendos and statements without facts. All the things that Mr. Davies said for instance, there was nothing in it and no facts to buttress anything. The angle of aircraft for instance, was Ihejirika the Chief of Air Staff?
“It shows there are undemocratic elements working in tandem with outsiders trying to destroy this country. For instance, the last few days, the media has been awash with reports that Boko Haram has over-run Bama and taken over the city whereas, the reverse is the case. We have troops there and we are in touch on a daily basis” “The truth is that as at Tuesday, our soldiers had killed over 700 Boko Haram insurgents during the battle. The following day, another 500 terrorists were killed.
What is happening is not what is being reported in the newspapers and sometimes I wonder if the media are Nigerian media or what they seek to gain by running our soldiers down” In his contribution, Air Commodore Agbetuyi cautioned politicians in the country against trying to bring the name of the military into disrepute warning that doing so will amount bringing down the military. On allegation against General Azubuike Ihejirika, he said, “Some political elites do not understand what the man went through as COAS, the sleepless nights, the sacrifices General Ihejirika made for the country.
I recall how he was tackling the security challenge in the country and some Nigerians who do not understand or pretending not to, or some enemies of Nigeria said the army was killing people indiscriminately. The same people today are saying he sponsors Boko Haram. Does it make sense?”
– See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/boko-haram-jonathan-declares-full-scale-war-deploys-warplanes/#sthash.32iX37wv.ODHs3RvY.dpuf
Oga Akin Oges, thanks for the good news, hope the Vanguard sources are correct. We still need the army to show us live video clips of current Bama situation, very important as evidence.
Welcome brotherly.
I have just done a quick and dirty survey on the information battle space and have some interesting statistics:
1. Material supporting BokoHaram’s ideology – 0%
2. Original Material deliberately slanted to show BokoHaram is doing better than NA in the war – 5%
3. Original Material showing BH is doing better, due to lack of countervailing info. from NA – 20%
4. Material telling NA’s story (3 online ngr.papers, defenceinfomil, …maybe Beegeagle). – 25%
5. Rehashers, Copycat posters of available material (even respected websites). – 50%
(2), (3) and (5) are interesting. It appears the Shekau’s knuckle head videos and a few active online supporters have been driving 85% of the narrative especially after Chibok and the caliphate declaration. So a minority terrorist group and some uninformed people have actually been jerking off the entire world. Welcome to the power of the internet.
Nigeria FG’s response to all this so far has been ZERO and all we have done is moan and complain.
Even more interesting is the analysis of COMMENTS coming in into every story posted online.
It appears Nigerians know what to believe ….so all this talk about damaging effect of disinformation is hogwash. Almost all commentary in reaction to negative information has been 80% negative. Deep suspicion as to motives have been expressed and usual suspects have been opposition politicians, BBC and a certain geopolitical region.
In any case, Nigeria’s online community is the urban middle class and that’s an idle demographic when it comes to social action, they read, comment and go to work the next day.
*THE MOST DANGEROUS INFORMATION BATTLE SPACE IS NOT ONLINE IT IS ON RADIO.
It is on the oldest media available and involves one of the oldest channels into Nigeria.
BBC HAUSA SERVICE speaks directly to at least 50 million northern Nigerians daily. Young uneducated people don’t need to know much to tune in to it. It is a very accessible radio service even to Boko Haram. If BBC Hausa service says Nigerian soldiers have run away from a battle that is what forms the opinion of this large demographic within Nigeria. If they say BH is being supported by Angel Gabriel himself that is what they believe.
So what have the security agencies been doing?. Everybody has become a mercantilist in Nigeria so there is no more a patriotism driven national strategy for any thing. The political class and its appointees in the security services have become flabby, soft and weak in the head with all the money flowing around and to originate effective actions in the defsec space is a problem. We are now managing how to generate sympathy for our military…. unbelievable A country with the best IT professionals in Africa is complaining about online ‘propaganda’.
This is not the time for moaning and childish expressions of persecution mania. It is a war.
We’ve been studying this stuff in Jaji for decades. Nigeria ran a world class operation in propaganda and material support for the anti apartheid liberation war in south africa so we used to know how it is done. The US has been hinting that Nigeria acts smarter in the war on terror by engaging the northern youth in a more creative way.
We need a targeted RADIO SERVICE that tells the country’s message of unity and religious tolerance to the youth of the N. East immediately. We can hype on the forced recruitment of young boys and kidnapping of girls to further demonize the BH group and militarize the young community against the BH element. Existing radio infrastructure should be used to start on this.
There is a commendable agricultural transformation going on that provides an alternative life style to what BH is preaching.
Until this is done the efficient Boko Haram fighter production factory grinds on ad infinetum.
Brilliant Sir, Brilliant !!!!
Still hoping NAF has got precision weapons, laser guided bombs and rockets for ALL our aircraft from Alpha jet to Mi-35 to Tucano to MBB339.
The Mi-35M can carry long range rockets up to 15km plus the regular S-8 with 4km range.
Laser guidance kit for S-8 is now in the market newly. The S-8 versions, NAF should have all types in stock, target marking, illumination, incendiary/fireballs, high explosive, anti-tank HEAT, smoke effect, flechette anti-personnel.
Laser guided bombs should include cluster bombs, I believe we did not sign that UN convention !
HEAT rounds are only effective against armoured vehicles, and anti-tank missiles are not worth it on Boko Haram, $50,000 missile is a waste when a $5,000 rocket can do the same job.
Laser guided cluster bombs is an oxymoron!
Does not exist Or does not make sense… which one?
If you are doing cluster bombing accuracy is not your objective that is given. But what if I want to lob a bomb into a wide restricted space and do maximum spatial damage woth harm to,personnel spread over a wide area but I dont have much explosives power to play with, won’t I arrange a cluster bombing effect for the warhead…. just asking for my education.
Nope.
A dumb cluster bomb means aircraft has to fly over target area to drop bomb and disperse sub-munitions.
Laser guided cluster bomb means pilot can stand off target area and launch guided bomb to target up to 20 km away with laser targeting equipment leading the bomb to target area.
Pilot and aircraft thus achieve element of surprise and also avoids enemy anti-aircraft defences by launching from stand off range far away and can be out of human sight and sound detection.
Further more, guided cluster bombs can come with wind corrected guidance systems, the laser guided cluster bomb is not common, but also available. The purpose is to keep the aircraft away from enemy detection or enemy air defenses, so that the cluster bomb uses guidance to reach the target area many kilometers away before dispersing it’s munitions.
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app5/paveway-1.html
The Laser guided cluster bomb exists, and it is not an oxymoron.
Thanks sir, and good morning to you, it’s been some days, where you go sir?
No be quarrel na. I think the Israelis have used the principle to lob cluster bombs into factories producing chemical weapon. The guided bomb goes in through a hatch and then the successive sequence of explosions takes out everything inside in a cluster of mini explosions. Some bomblets would even delay response and start exploding minutes later.
This is very well informed stuff you posted here.
I was just going to ask about new PGM options on the F7 NI jet. Can out F7s deliver PGMs?.
Even without PGMs, some modern targeting/aiming (via onboard computers) can achieve unbelievable accuracy. Some 30mm canons will take out a moving armoured car even with the aircraft traveling at 450km/hr at 10000 ft.
S8 maximum range is 4.5km and I am not sure we have the laser guided types yet.
The 15km missile would be good for stand off attacks on camps in Sambisa (if BH is still there) and Gwoza. The chopper won’t be able to carry much else apart from that missile so you need a number of choppers to achieve the objective.
Oga Are James, I deliberately ignored the F-7 jet, yes the Pakis F-7PG carries precision guided weapons…..But I just bypassed NAF F-7NI jets make we no go crash everything finish o ! 4 lost in 4 years, na annual event? $15 million per ‘copy’….I dey fear.
We can put NAF F-7 jets in a rapid response squadron for emergencies in any parts of Nigeria and base them at TAC Makurdi so they can arrive any part of Nigeria in 15 minutes for air to air or air to ground emergency operations.
I suggest emergency use only o, not regular….the tin get one kain history we all know.
Where is the Voice Of Nigeria? VON ! That is our own BBC !
VON dead or alive, or just a living-dead, clueless and lacking ideas for current media challenges on this Boko war?
We pay millions of dollars to foreign ambassadors and diplomatic corp as fat salaries every month, what are those money suckers doing for Nigeria’s image now? Foreign investors are running from a ‘War Torn Nigeria’ image presented by the west, can’t they deal with this….
http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21615642-boko-haram-now-taking-territory-and-threatens-state-capital-other
Abeg recall ambassadors that cannot fight for Nigeria’s image overseas, why pay them millions of dollars in salary as they live in ‘paradise’ if they have zero ideas and remain clueless parasites feasting on our national cake while the real patriotic people go hungry ?
@Oga Augustine, somebody on this blog mentioned the term ‘COIN Blitzkrieg’, though I thought on commenting then, but I refrained.
Now, that you brought in foreign investors, which will hurt you more? BH occupying a few villages and towns of economically less important NE or bomb blast in your business district in Lagos or Abuja? Cause if you go in for ‘COIN Blitzkrieg’ ( if something like that exists) without securing your back end, BH due to the onslaught will go underground and will involve itself in more sub-conventional tactics like the one happened in the bus-stand outskirt of Abuja.
So, a wholesome approach is needed, which looks at securing both the hot zone and the back end.
I used COIN blitzkrieg and that is what every country has started doing. If you divide the NE into GRIDs and start the laborious grind of conquering back territory, the doing radicalization, then doing the pacification and then doing the economic empowerment before moving to the next area on the grid, this war will cost more than $200bn and take 5years.
It is better to sweep through the place in a quick 3 month sustained delivery of fire power so that everything currently crystallizing as structural radical tendencies are painfully disrupted and then we can start the reconstruction of the whole region.
The fact that the ‘insurgents’ will later morph into ‘terrorists’ when they lose ground so fast has always been a present and continuous danger and would not have changed even if the war had been brought on gradually. It has not escaped anybody that there has been NO BOMBING of civilian centers since Shekau started his land grab and Caliphate building. The security services know they have to start preparing for that when Gwoza and other areas have been taken back from them.
Btw, Pakistan did some very successful COIN blitzkrieg a few weeks ago and it was highly successful.
Oga Bharat, I see your observation. Yes you are right, we need to secure both the hot zone rural areas and the back end urban cities or else if the Bokos move the theater, the economic effect on the urban areas and investors confidence will be agonizing, city suicide bombings is just as bad as anything else. Thanks.
Let me tell you as it is. You may not like me afterwards.
VON, NAN, NOA …xyz. All these jokers are a bunch of unimaginative, 9 to 5 pen pushing, liability generating, overhead clogging, 75% recurrent expenditure generating, dull, unintelligent, brain dead, part time contractor class of public servants that are weakening Nigeria everyday. Unfortunately half of our current public service holders passed through these ineffective institutions so what can you do.
We need the gov’t to set a new agenda for these agencies and tell existing employees that there are bright young graduates with ideas who can take the information battle to the enemy for a fraction of what we are currency spending on them.
*for @Augustine*
oga Bharat, yes, once the army becomes more successful in the rural area, BH will revert back to its urban terror. well, an old fashion police detective work can take care of them.
what we need currently is to denigrate BH combat capability to the point where they can be easily dealt with by the police.
presently, they are fighting conventional and semi conventional battles, they haven’t had the time to bomb towns and cities. once the army successfully roll them back, and decimate their rag tag ranks, they will of course, go back to urban bombing. nothing terrorists organisations fear more than irrelevance. but at least, that will then be the job of law enforcement agencies – to locate and neutralize those terrorists cells.
i agree a comprehensive approach is needed, let the law enforcement agencies be preparing now. however, the sovereignty of Nigeria has to be preserved, these terrs need to be annihilated in these ground battles. too many peeps are suffering from this current boko onslaught.
we are concerned with both the military and the other law enforcement agencies. for now, it is the military that got the ball, they should wipe out this vermin on the choice terrain of the NE. terrorism is a long term thing. the bombings will always be a near reality. it takes years to defeat that, but should take shorter span to annihilate the terrs on the full spectrum battlefield.
things are not always straightforward as they seem, nigerian factor has made BH rise more than it should ever had
Thanks
Once again I want to urge the FG to control the Nigerian cyberspace and the Nigerian airwaves and also the printed press. We are at war, freedom of the press is for peace time. The only voices the people should be hearing are those of DHQ and other official voices, people like senator zanna do not deserve to hold a nigerian passport talkless of being senators, they should be thrown into jail. Take out the foreign press the same way you take out the trash. The media controle must be on every form of media. Our cyberspace is already saturated with terrorist propaganda and so are our airwaves and our printed press. Many bloggers don’t understand the difference between fighting a war on your soil and fighting a war abroad, there is a big difference. You must isolate your people from enemy propaganda.
Let me introduce you to the North Korean passport. It is very beautiful. It has a picture of Kim Jon UN and his late father.
Do not reply to me, you are not worth my time. Yur total lack of intelligence is what you keep carrying with pride. Do not reply my comments. I do not need to have a conversation with a complete idiot.
Who did exactly what i am suggesting when they were at war:
1) USA
2) Britain
3) Russia
4) South korea
5) North Korea
6) china
7) Algeria
8) South Africa
9) Sri Lanka
10) Germany
In essence any nation which has fought a war in which its very existance was threatened did exactly wha t I am suggesting.
Oga Are James, I wasn’t quarreling o ! Just replying. The message was for Oga Peccavi my boss, while the web-link on laser guided bombs was for you as requested. I just joined both messages together and deliberately attached no names to avoid looking like an exchange of blah blah blah.
PEACE and BROTHERLINESS among all bloggers !
Oga, cluster bombs na area weapon. They can be precision delivered by artillery etc but the very essence is area denial.
Please sirs, let us be careful on this blog, our recommendations are going to the top hierarchy of Nigeria’s military and political class. It’s like every comment we write here is being read and passed upwards for analysis and decision making if useful.
Next proof….
NORINCO LG3 Automatic Grenade Launcher finally entered Nigerian Army Service !
http://world.guns.ru/grenade/ch/lg3-e.html
I have no regrets making the regular noise about the need to buy Automatic Grenade Launchers from May to September, it was worth all the energy. I have photo proof, from someone whom I will give out his login/screen name. I hope Nigerian army purchased up to 1,000 units from Norinco. Nice photo from North East war zone !
Die Boko Haram, die !!!
Oga Augustine I am very glad you are saying the same thing. I cannot stress it enough let us be restrained in what we say.There are people on both sides of the atlantic I.e.Nigeria and the US and especially the people in the defence that read this blog. I in all honestly can not go in details,but we need to focus on the issues at hand and not the name calling T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Oga Augustine
Please can you direct where to look for proof that Nigeria does have these AGLs .I went to the link and could not find it.
http://www.nairaland.com/fynline/posts.
Thank you.
Newly acquired stuff.
Thank you Arejames. I was supplied the link and I saw a brand AGL.Confirmed these weapons are being procured and sent to the front. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Oga Beegeagle, I have sent you the photo just now. Check your email sir.
I knew this gutter trash language will come from you when I posted that but it was important to make people realize that there are many non morons on this blog. I need to know your name and school you attended so that I begin to understand what inferior raw materials could have been used to produce a simpleton like you who should never be aloud to go near public office at all.
The equipment for monitoring the internet and blocking it already exists in Nigeria and monitoring is actually on but it is just a surprise to me that a young man in this day and age will actually support the blocking of internet signals.
The Nigerian Army also tried gagging the print press a few months ago but this is actually my first time of hearing somebody justifying that action and saying it should go on. I really need to know your name. Your mathematics background has obviously warped your thinking. You are one of the most narrow minded, closed minded, un imaginative individuals I have ever come across.
Block the internet, throw out international journalists, close down newspapers…you can clap for yourself. You are a real genius. Nowhere in your thinking did it even occur to you that such an idea has been presented, brainstormed extensively and rejected by policy makers.
Why don’t we kill Ebola patients & their families while we are at it, that is also an existential threat?. Corruption is killing this country also so maybe we need to bring back the death penalty for that.
It is becoming a shame to share this platform with some fresh faced, half educated young boy scout lad fresh out of university spewing half baked thrash…. but I will try to endure.
Hehe he I dey laugh O !
Thank you for that response Sir. NSA has already deploys SIRI, DONO-P, TRIMP & ERBIT Systems doing legit intelligence interception. That is yielding fruitful info for present and future engagements.
Repressing information has never won any war, especially not this war where you are battling insurgents in one section. Rather DHQ should engage more infotech consultants to develop its news content and ensure it replaces the negativity been forced down the throat of the populace. I have learnt enough to accept that in any situation where 3rd party (especially mass population) perception and opinion counts, putting out your own story counts.
Regards
” Btw, Pakistan did some very successful COIN blitzkrieg a few weeks ago and it was highly successful. ”
Reply,
@Oga AreJames
Where does Pakistan lie in world competitive index? And economy? with nearly same population as that of Nigeria?
As for a direct incident, you are forgetting Karachi Airport attack and it’s effect. Wasn’t it in response to the air pounding that TTP were getting at the hands of PAF? Wasn’t it a part of ‘COIN blitzkrieg’?
And how successful is ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ or its previous versions is for another day.
And, about whether you would be able to secure your back end or not, I never said, you can’t. But, what you didn’t contest, about what I said that, a single incident in your business district is more damaging to your economy than in your NE.
So, when you thrust ahead, you must secure your cities simultaneously.
Oga Baharat I agree with you on the above. Secure everywhere, city and rural. We could start an effective full scale offensive today, but in retaliation tomorrow the enemy resumes suicide bombing cities.
DMI, DSS, SSS, DHQ, NPF, NSCDC, please take note as we prepare for the final Sri Lanka model full scale attack on these evil Bokos.
That is true. It is a risk management thing about what happens to cities when you uproot the insurgents from the country side especially with the booming economy. You have to weigh and balance the risks.
It is acknowledged that there are two legs to the thing, urban terrorists lie in wait quietly in the cities while insurgents are active in the countryside and then things reverse depending on what you are doing to them at any given time.
What I just don’t subscribe to is that you need decades to do all types of COIN and I am saying if COIN blitz is made quick enough then maybe you can do a lot of damage before they get organised to do much in the cities. Also IEDs have been traced to stolen army stores so it is better to make the insurgents expend the explosive material in battle rather than transport them to civilian population centers. Very complex situation but the point is taken – the army does its bit and the police / internal security do theirs for city protection.
Now that the Nigerian military forces are pounding the insurgents our media brothers are quiet. The next media breaking news will be “DOZENS OF CIVILIANS KILLED BY NIGERIAN FORCES” for some of you who champion the fault lines of Nigeria, you only help an enemy who has citizens that bring out the positives of their own nation. Stop the excuse that Nigeria must sell its own good news, YOU ARE A NIGERIAN, then you also have that duty to sell her well at all cost. Nigeria will defeat terrorism, we will grow steadily to address our problems.
When we ( Nigeria ) kills terrorists they say we shamefully killed civilians, when terrorists kill civilians they say we ran away and that the terrorists showed such amazing fighting skills or some times they still say that it is us who killed the civilians. The foreign media has a mind of its own.
Let me help with some examples of good news about Nigeria that we can sell.
1. Surveillance, mapping and strikes on Insurgent camps achieved two years ago by NAF
2. Sambisa in particular invaded two years ago and camps taken out by NAF and NA.
3. Tracking and killing of the ‘new’ Shekau achieved last year before he started making scary videos.
4. Commando rescue of Chibok girls achieved one week after their abduction by Nigerian SFs.
5. Nigerian commandos helping out in Cameroon, Niger and Chad for the last 3 years.
6. Interdiction of BH before they got into Damboa, Gwoza and Bama achieved in all cases in such a way that violence to the civilians by insurgents was prevented and collateral damage during recovery were minimised.
I may be wrong on all the above.
Kindly give me a few more that I have omitted, especially in the defsec space that compares with our GDP rebasing which Nigerians and Beegeagle bloggers especially have separated very well and are still doing or the profuse commendations Nigerians are giving to FG for timely Ebola management.
The advice about Bama from me still remains don’t let any press into that city after military operations.
*celebrated very well*
cnn link to the front line coverage of the attack of isis forces
http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2014/09/05/pkg-coren-front-line-peshmerga-forces.cnn&hpt=hp_t1&from_homepage=yes&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F
we need simmilar coverage of the our effprts in the north east.
nb: oga beeg why you no dey allow my contributions.
I am beginning to think no government institution can meet the standard required for war reporting on this scale and of this quality. We need to allow time for our print and online media to grow enough, raise capital and employ skilled manpower to provide the kind of visuals that tell frontline stories in a compelling way and this reinforces the point that you should not try to regulate the internet but use it to your advantage. The DHQ can set the sails in the direction of the wind by partnering ChannelsTV, Silverbird or the AITs of this world in this regard, embed their reporters, do joint pre production of material and co own the material. There is even money to be made for gov’t from it.
See Are James and Igbi, please i beg you guys for the sake of the blog can we stop the jibes n attacks, you both may dislike each others opinions but please no mud slinging or name calling, its getting irritating. If you disagree with each other just state your opinion , you dont have to respond to yourselves even, Right now we have derailed completely on this thread…over 283 comments and few are on strategies to counter boko haram, many on argument…..its getting me annoyed seriously…we have been here for years and even though we dont contribute much often, we do take note, so i urge both of you and everyone else to bury this back n forth stuff, its not helping matters, if we do say that Top level people read the blog then lets start throwing suggestions like we have been doing it wont look nice if you opened a thread n see the insults at this critical moment they would be welcoming all the help they can get, you can share your opinion as it is your right to do so, but let it not become insults, Thanks.
No. This guy’s insults are no problem… that’s purely upbringing.
The great danger is regarding any critical assessment of our own war against terror as a lack of patriotism. This is very dangerous. It is beginning to feel like some weird kind of censorship and that is annoying. It will stifle ideas and we have a long way to go.
We all mutually applaud and congratulate DHQ when progress is made …but it feels like support for Shekau when somebody says ”you are not killing Boko Haram quickly enough” which should be hard for normal people to understand.
Suggesting that we stifle internet and gag the press is unbelievable.
So we have to be Adolf Hitler to save the Jews. Shekau himself does not want internet freedom and press censorship is going to be standard in his ‘Caliphate’, so we hand him that ‘civil victory’ while he loses the military one?…I just don’t understand to be honest.
Some people should learn to control emotions and really think about what they are going to post before doing so. However the insults can continue, they are hurting the giver more than he realizes.
My Ogas why are some people on this blog seeing the Nigerian media as BH propaganda machine? If DHQ and the Presidency deliberately leaves a vacuum of information, rumor mongering and insinuations will prevail. I don’t think any media outlet in Nigeria (excluding Sahara reporters, BBC Hausa,and the likes) are sabotaging the military efforts, but they are in the business of news and if there is no news from the people on the ground, they will try to find it from somewhere.
@ Igbi
You cant seriously be asking for media sponsorship in a time like this when we have an emerging democracy. Your understanding of patriotism is at best Demented.
Look, I don’t have time to lecture you, just read what i already wrote. Plus read what Jacob Zenn wrote. The media is being used by terrorists as a way to broadcast their propaganda. That same propagand terrorizes civilians and creates panic and distrust in our democracy, which in turn destroys the entire fabric of democracy and leaves only chaos and rivers of blood. Understand this: we are at war, the bastards are walking on our soil, this is not the time for idealistic idiocies, this is the time to the the necessary to save the nation. In a situation of emergency, democratical process is suspended in oder to get rid of the problem as quick as possible and then return to democracy. Every country in this world which has fought a war on its soil did exactly what I suggested. I am not making all this up, try and use your brain !
apparently you have none!
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/over-50-boko-haram-insurgents-killed-in-borno-says-military/188343/
I think Intelligence gathering s the best way to win this war. They have spies and have real time intel on Nigerian army positions, weapons system and strategy which makes them prepare with numerical strength and just the right weapons. Our Intelligence agency is unbelievable.
NA and NAF intelligence gathering is very poor in this war, and I think SSS is finding it hard to plant moles in Boko Haram due to the dangerous cult nature of the Jihadist organization.
Boko Haram has moles operating inside the Nigerian armed forces, they have the information and intelligence advantage over us and they are using it excellently.
Pity.
Oga Augustine. I respect your hustle sir.
Please Oga, whats the point of having moles in bokohomos if they are categorically stated, doesn’t that defeat the purpose? The Nigerian armed forces is a very large organization, as with any other large organization, its almost impossible to vouch for each and every member of that organization. This is not to say that once crucial information leaks, DHQ does not narrow down the source. My point is, only after leaked information’s acted on that you discover you have a mole, not before. Oga, be rest assured that moles exist in the rank and file of bokohomos, you will not get prove of this fact for now, because that will be suicidal, its not a pity, its common sense.
Oga mcshegz my brother, you have any proof that NA has moles inside Boko Haram? I don’t have proof they don’t either. All I know is that Boko Haram is a cult-like organization and it is hard for SSS to plant moles there. SSS I said, not Nigerian army.
A mole in Boko Haram, the day they ask him to behead innocent Nigerians captured, how easy will that be? It’s not like planting moles in anti-government political opposition parties or even an armed robbery gang.
I can say the average armed robber is less evil by far, than an average Boko Haram jihadist.
The way NA gets surprised by Boko Haram attacks, and the way we have very little information about Boko deployments inside their fortresses, which we have had to attack and then retreat based on superior firepower and numbers, I don’t need to consult an oracle to know who has better mole intelligence between NA and Bokos.
Thanks bros.
Yes the NA has moles in boko haram.Read the next thread.uh hun.Someone got a nasty surprise@the worst possible time.Oga augustine there is a lot of dirty stuff going on that will never,ever be dislosed to you unless you grew up with some of these peeps.Both sides have moles and the penalty if discovered is certain death.
Agreed, the idea of Censorship should nt even be considered BUT its imperative and we all agree on this, that the FG need to directly or indirectly take charge of the information space….Media houses willwrite anything dat enters their head and make money that is what they care about at the bottom line, Making Money they need the circulation, the more the circulation the more Advertising Naira enter their pocket, Last Year Print Media made over 230 billion naira from Advertising (BusinessDay ) goes to show where their Priority Lie, the DHQ and DDI can choose :
1) Get A Column to be Written by A very Good Defense Correspondent heck Hire BeegEagle to do it himself and Report True Situation as it is
2) Grant Radio Interviews especially on BBC Hausa Service Condeming All Propagandist Sympathisers Chief of Whom is Senator Ahmed Zanna
3) Short TV Documentary or Battle Sitreps Showing Gains and What they are doing to Win the War
4) Questions and Answer on Facebook, Twitter and Skype/Google Hangout
5) Use Online Blogs and Social Media Influencers to tell its Story
6) Revamp its Website to include ORBAT its Fielding to Counter Boko Haram
7)Create a Campaign to Get Nigerian Citizen Voices of Support and Show it to Soldiers to increase Morale
8) Institute a Tour Round Affected Regions it has Control Over.
9)Begin Community Outreach and Support Victims affected by Boko Haram (Use Part of the Fund Raised during that Dinner Televized Last Month)
10) Grant and Post Pics of Debriefed Pics from the Battle Front
11) Meet with Media Owners and Defence Correspondents to Work together with DHQ to provide True stories not lies, Half truths, Innuendos, Gossips, Rumours, Propaganda, or just plain Conjectures they must verify all stories they post
12) Immediately Shame and Caution Sahara Reporters and Using Diplomatic Pressure convince the UK Foreign Office to Talk to BBC to First Seek Authoritative News before anything else, Warn in Clear Terms This Should be an Ambassador to Ambassador Call, Senate President to House of Lords Call and Defence Ministry to Defence Ministry call to show the Seriuousness of this
13) Hold Press Interviews on Foreign Press and Get a Very Great orator who will say it as it is and not embarass the Army, do a Prep if need be
14)Post Videos to Youtube on Attack on Boko Haram Column
15) Work on a Documentary on the War on Terrorism
16) Create A Citizen Round Table Portal that shares Intel or Strategies they feel can help the Situation
17) Meet Families of Chinok Community and Others Affected Since 2010 and discuss modalities of Support
18) Use CJTF as a Point of Rally for Youths not to Engage with Boko Haram and Begin Massive Education Campaigns
19) Nigerian Army Engineers Begin Constructing Homes of Affected People Free of Charge
20) Constantly Update Citizens.
There are more Strategies to win Both the Public Relation and Information Battlespace, We must not Wait for Media to do the Talking, Again if FG cant do this Can we start Something ( i mean Bloggers of BeegEagle) to Support the Army. These are Few of My Opinions , God Keep Soldiers and Friends of Mine Currently Fighting to Keep us Safe, its one of the Most Ultimate Sacrifice you can ask from a Person, More Offensive….we dey una back.
These are good suggestions. The information battle space is for everybody, we need to fight in it and win as we do on the batle field without sacrificing our liberties.
I still suggest an alternative to BBC Hausa service set up on the back of VON and broadcasting on a close frequency to their BBC’s own. That way we can even play with frequencies to jam out specific broadcasts that are inflammatory and then go through the motions of apologising later. BBC africa is where the greatest damage is being done not online. Online takes care of itself and any pro BH view can be countered real time but you and me cannot establish a radio station.
Shame and expose Sahara Reporters will work.
CTJF – that is actually one of the areas we should commend the government.
Finally I think it is important to realize that there are a lot of sophisticated stuff going on under the umbrella of the office of the NSA. Stuff we may never hear about but I think field implementation of a lot of them still leaves a lot to be desired.
NAF air combat assets should be reviewed
==========================
If we have not paid for the Chinese L-15 Falcon jets, we don’t need them again in my opinion unless we are getting them with full technology transfer for domestic manufacturing or a deal to make Nigeria the market hub for the L-15 Jet sales in Africa.
Upgrading our 12 units (If NAF has not lost any to crashes) of MBB 339AN jets to the modern MBB 339CD Batch 2 Configuration Trainer Jet is okay, the jet is being used by NATO to train pilots for the great Eurofighter Typhoon and Malaysia is using same jet to train pilots for the mighty Su-30MKM, both are heavy air superiority and multi-role jets.
After this war, Alpha jets should retire unless they have been given new life by extending their useful service lives, and the critically missing night combat capabilities upgrade added on.
I be silent on the F-7NI jets for now.
Our 18 or so units (Originally 24 units, lost some to crashes) of L-39ZA Albatross jets with very low payload capacity of 1,000kg could be upgraded quickly for this Boko war as High Speed Tactical Reconnaissance Jets armed with twin 23mm cannon and rocket pods, the L-39 Jet is manufacturer designed to be an agile jet trainer, tactical reconnaissance aircraft, border patrol and light ground support fighter.
It is designed to give the two pilots excellent view of the battle ground below from the air above with the enlarged and specially shaped cockpit glass canopy.
The L-39 jet has 3 hours loiter time over battlefield with external fuel tanks added, it can do 2 hour battlefield observation with double barrel 23mm cannon for light close combat support to the Nigerian army, as well as border patrol. In case of need, it can carry rocket pods.
The aircraft is however a low threat zone air asset, and really good enough for a COIN war with Boko Haram that has limited air defence capability. We should upgrade them and give them more teeth for this war, night combat capability will be an advantage if added on.
Nigeria should now focus on buying large numbers of the Mi-35M Hind E helicopter, Super Tucano, JF-17 Thunder, and Su-30 Flanker as our new procurement to secure our country today and tomorrow.
Our next threat can be conventional, who knows tomorrow? Chad has MiG-29 Fulcrum 4th Generation air superiority and multi-role jet fighters and will defeat the entire Nigerian air force as known today, unless we have some hidden 4th Generation air superiority jet fighters that NAF has secretly ordered or received and has not disclosed to the public.
Thanks for reminding me about what I wanted to post about the L 39. It is around the same point you are making now. There is already an upgrade available for the aircraft that is for purpose,, obviating the need for the L 15 and other costly, unproven Chino options.
Unfortunately or fortunately we may have already bought the L 15
http://www.l-39ng.cz/
I just do not think we bought that plane,despite everything.Some things just do not add up. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
@Augustine, Very Nice Suggestions seeing that the MB339 is in the Same Mould as the L39, adding L15 would be kind of pointless…lots of light Advanced COIN crafts but no Air Superiority or Multi Role which so far Sukhoi is the Only and best choice.
I for one would like to know what is going on in Bama. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Me too sir.
Good to know you have seen the new AGL photo Oga jimmy. Congrats, we are making progress with new weapons, slow but could be faster. Boko Haram is multiplying like Ebola virus epidemic.
interesting analysis … no abuse please! http://nigeriancoin.wordpress.com/2014/09/
boko haram doesn’t control bama, your link is not accurate, most of the information on it are just the result of boko haram propaganda, if boko haram claims a place then the emptyheaded owner of that blog takes that as a fact.
OK I was a little bit too hard on the guy, but that is because of his inaccuracies. he speculates a lot and doesn’t have the courage to admit so. I can see that he gets most of his stuff from press releases which in turn have largely been proven to be inaccurate. boko homos certainly don’t hold sixteen villages or towns (that part makes me wonder if the guy is on crack).
Which Nigeriancoin again?. Why is everybody trying to challenge Beegeagle blog?.
Well copycatting is the best form of compliment.
OK…whereas I am thinking that this is the brainchild of either FULAN manifesting in a new incarnation, the Nigeria Security Network OR the Nigeria Security Tracker people led by Mr Campbell, the overly simplified language suggests strong Nigerian content and one that is sympathetic to BH.
Chief Agostinho, glad about the AGL thing. Even I have been an advocate for that. Look here for a bit.
@Oga Igbi. While I admit that you are a highly patriotic Nigerian and an intelligent one at that, I am getting an increasing number of requests from silent but exasperated big hitters who are very, VERY hard to ignore, praising your brilliance but suggesting that you are becoming surplus to requirement on here. The simple reason is that their biggest Ogas actually follow proceedings here very keenly and looking to see everything except INSULTS, NAME CALLING and EXPLETIVES.
It is so bad that I received four of such requests yesterday alone and if you want to be honest to yourself, you get involved in 90% of the spats here. Pls avoid personality clashes and analyses of peoples’ mental construct. Just say yours and move on. Even I stay a few days without making any comments. No one is duty-bound to respond to every post and I can assure you that until you came on board, we never knew any quarreling here. You are allowing your wrong side to completely obliterate the intelligent side of you. I ask you one final time to move to the balanced middle and leave out the beef – with Peccavi, Doziex, Augustine or Are James. It is not a fascist enclave so we cannot all be on the same page all the time.
This is a VERY, VERY serious watering hole for strategic decision makers and the patriot in me tells me to leave behind anyone who obstructs the intellectual and analytical quest to advance our national interest.
A simple ” I DISAGREE” followed by your precis works better than “are you listening to yourself” , “you are a dunce” etc. Please, STOP. We need you around here but CERTAINLY not in this form.
Oga beegeagle, I am sorry. It is true that I have had quite a few fights over here. But believe me or not, it was not always my fault. I have taken as much blow as I have given, when I arrived here, it was for the purpose of fighting against enemy propaganda.
One of the recent developpements is that the foreign press has managed to make Nigerians to distrust themselves and distrust each and every Nigerian institution, and many of our own Nigerian media comes to their aid.
In which country except ours will you see citizens put the words of their DHQ at the same level with the words of foreigners and quite a few local press whose only aim is to ridicule the nation for the foreigners and to advance a political agenda or to sell more for the local press. (By the way, quite a few people keep confusing sahara reporters with a local press, no it is an american press, based in new york). I respect you and what you are doing. But do you think we can survive a war if our citizens have more trust on foreign press than on the people the Nigerians who gladly lay their lives so that we can sleep in peace ? I like that you guys make pressure on the FG to give a reasonable budget for the defence sector and the pressure you guys apply on the defence sector to be more transparent and destroy any trace of corruption which has no place in the military nor in the political class. A corrupt military man is guilty of treason to me. because for his own selfish needs he is costing the lives of his brothers in uniform and in the civilian population. I didn’t want to put too much accent on “moles in the army” because i felt it would create distrust between soldiers and civilians and perhaps distrust among soldiers, i felt that that was a job for our secret services. What got me hangry many times was the attitude Nigerians had towards their military, which tends to be the attitude Nigerians have towards their children: we never encourage them, we just keep raining insults at them. It is like if we have a sort of self hatred and that shows when you see Nigerians always believing anything negative said against their country, and especially against their military. To finish with, I think we all need to understand that a war is not only fought by the military, it is also fought by the civilian population and especially in this case. The encourageent and support of civilians will surely boost the moral of the troops, and help in the war effort. Thank you sir for allowing me to try and help clarify things.
May Nigeria triumph against its enemies.
I think I should take a long break because that seems to be the best help i can give at this momment. But I will continue reading.
You can already see the delusions we are dealing with here.
A 27year old is saying..”i was a little hard on that guy”.. that is on people decades older than him.
I personally have put people in their forties through tertiary institutions, led technical multi national teams at work and my friends and contemporaries are decision makers…so you can continue being hard on your keyboard.. LOL
Posting Jacob Zenn stuff is already defeating the whole point. The fact that the Jacob Zen stuff exists means that there is already an alternative narrative out there on the dangers of anti government material that may be working in favour of Boko Haram. More of this is going to come up and it is a special feature of the internet that alternative narratives always evolve.
So the internet is already doing it’s work. It is doing that without censorship or blocking or killing journalists or any ‘hard guy on my computer” harebrained idea.
Personally in my spare time I like to read both sides of the commentary going on in NAIRALAND on how the DHQ is doing and it is interesting to see both sides take a go at themselves. The supporters of DHQ always win but I haven’t heard control internet, arrest journalists, seize passports stuff yet. Maybe most of the commentators on Nairaland are confident people secure in their manhood/womanhood and do not have to suggest inflammatory stuff to feel good.
When you suggest that government should take away my CIVIL LIBERTIES because of Shekau it is a personal attack and I will resist with all my might and will even recruit people to fight it.
This is no joke let us make that clear now because these harebrained ideas may crop up again.
Boko Haram was also going to use Nun’s outfits to perpetrate some bombings. Nobody has said we should ban their dresses because of the respect we have for Catholics or the Hijab bombings because of respect we have for Muslims. Please we can continue the insults can continue but don’t go near civil liberties.
Oga Are,
E don do sir. Abeg leave the boybmake him dey do hin own. Nobody takes him serious anymore anyway. You will just drain your good energy engaging him.
By the way, e be like say na Musiwa younger brother you dey follow drag so. So you now know wetin to do.
Ki agba fi owo wo’ nu.
I sincerely hope that the current trend of some people coming on this blog, just to hurl insults and accusations at one another and some people presenting speculations as facts, or simply bringing irrelevant and distracting topics to discussion,will not be allowed to continue by Beegeagle and the established bloggers, This blog is too valuable for it´s factual information and highly intellectual analyses to be degraded by people who should only read and learn and better leave the commentaries to the experts. Beeg eagle, pls do something before your blog is turned to Yahoo comment section and your lofty objective defeated….Thanks.
ACT 1 SCENE 2