Thread by @DefenseNigeria

When you take an in-depth look at the JF-17s radar, you realize how fiscally irresponsible it will be for the NAF to buy just 3 JF-17 fighters.

To fully maximize the capability of the fighter jet the NAF needs at least a Squadron level operational capability of the JF-17.

The JF-17 is equiped with the KLJ-7 radar. This radar can detect up to 40 air, ground and sea targets. It can track 10 targets and send two missiles simultaneously. It can detect a target with a radar cross section of 5 sqm at a range of 105km.

This radar is useful against enemy aircraft and of little relevance against Boko Haram/ISWAP.

Sure it has look down radar and can drop bombs...so can the Super Tucano or Alpha jet. Nigeria is not lacking in the air to ground department.

Where Nigeria is dangerously exposed is in the long neglected Air Defence domain. Air defense, as its name implies, is the act of safeguarding a nation against threats from the air.

When you hear the term " Air Defence" the first thing that comes to mind are SAMS.

But not all militaries approach air defense with a similar mindset. Countries like Nigeria, or the U.S rely extensively on fighter interceptors like the F-22 and F-16 for strategic air defence more so than ground based SAMs.

Here we see American F-22 Raptors intercepting Russian bombers near Alaska.

Yes they have the Avengers low level air defence system, or in Nigeria's case ROLAND short range air defence system, both countries rely extensively on fighter interceptors, far more effective than ground based systems because of its flexibility and range.

Problem is Nigeria is seriously lacking in this area. In the 1980s about 22 MiG-21 Fishbeds and 18 Sepecat Jaguars provided strategic air defence for Nigeria. Thats over three Squadrons of twin and single engined high performance fighter interceptors.

Today we have barely a Squadron of the F-7Ni "Airguard" for strategic air defence. The JF-17 is a perfect platform to plug that capability gap because of its multi-role capability. Three JF-17s just doesn't cut it. The JF-17 was not built with counter insurgency in mind.

We have a platform with air to air, air to ground and anti-ship capability. Its long range radar detect enemy aircraft over 100km away. Throw in BVR missiles.

So we aquire a 4.5 Gen fighter/interceptor with modern avionics, long radars and BVR missiles,..but aquire them

in numbers that completely negates, or render them almost useless in the face of enemy air attack from a near peer adversary. Sophisticated enough to get the job done. But too few in numbers to make any meaningful impact in defending Nigeria against a hostile actor from the sky.

No country has won a war in the face of enemy air superiority, no major offensive has succeeded against an opponent who controlled the air, and no defense has sustained itself against an enemy who had air superiority..

Attaining air superiority has consistently been a prelude to military victory. This is also true in the war against terror. Air Power helped turn the tide of the war in Nigeria's favour. Air Power is the only aspect of the Nigerian military that terrifies insurgents.