Someone asked ( a South African on DM).. more like challenged my claims and dismisses my citation of an INS Janes 2020 report that ranks the NAF number one in Sub Saharan Africa.
Making my answer public.
South Africa has the most sophisticated air force in SSA. The SAAF
flies the best 4th Gen fighter in SSA, Gripen and has an impressive military industrial complex. Decades ahead of Nigeria. No contest. The SAAF has roughly 40 strike fixed wing assets that consists of 17 Gripen fighters and 23 Hawk Mk.130 trainer/light attack.
But. By December 2021 the Nigerian Air Force will have 86 attack aircrafts (COIN/light attack/fighter interceptor) and 12 armed attack drones in its inventory.
In the Rotary Wing aspect the SAAF flies 12 Denel Rooivalk attack helicopter. A testament to South Africa's highly advanced military industrial complex. One of the world's most formidable attack helicopters.
The NAF by contrast flies 48 dedicated attack helicopters comprising Mi-24 P/V variant, Mi-35M, M-17S/E and AW109 "Power" attack helicopter.
In the area of ISR/ELINT there is no competition. Its too SAAF Douglas C-47TP Dakota maritime patrol plane.
The Nigerian Air Force operates 15 1SR platforms of various classifications, including two ATR-42 maritime patrol plane, two CJ-3 special mission aircaft,
four King Air 350i ISR aircaft, seven DA-40 sensor aircraft excluding unmanned aerial vehicles. It is absolute qualitative and quantitative superiority in the area of ISR.
With drones you have Four Wing Loong II, two CH-4, two CH-3B and four CH-3A Rainbow armes attack drones.
While NAF has advantage in numbers and quality is absolute, combat experience also gives it a decisive advantage.
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