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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Lets cut out the analytical histrionics. People will rather beat around the bush than give the military the complete credit it deserves, and even when they "reluctantly" do give credit, it is in a fleeting and lacklustre manner.
Operation Barbarosa-like aerial bombardment is responsible for the mass surrender of insurgentsa. Some reporters do not understand war strategy. The NAF was traditionally employed in a supporting capacity. This changed when the army and AF came under a central command. SYNERGY.
Instead of playing a supporting role,ie primarily contributing airpower to combat operations, the NAF is now used as the tip of the spear of the military's campaign. Relentless strategic airstrikes targeting top commanders and logistic depots weakened the insurgents.
China has an uncanny ability in figuring out the weakness its adversary. Thats why China is trying to woo France in response to AUKUS deal. China knows the French are arrogant against everybody and have an inflated sense of pride. In WW2 France was pissed the U.S
Liberating Paris. When DeGaulle said he wanted all American soldiers out of his country as soon possible, the American General asked him if that included all the American soldiers in the graves in France also. Beijing knows Paris is striving for recognition has gone on a charm
offensive in trying to woo France who Beijing said was "snubbed by its allies and betrayed"
QUOTE
As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and France shoulder the responsibility of maintaining international peace and stability and promoting global
JF-17 fighter fitted with HD-1A ramjet powered supersonic cruise missile at the recent Zhuahai air show in China.
The missile can travel at speed in excess of Mach 3.5 with a 240kf warhead. Thats close to hypersonic speed !!.
Why is this significant? It is reported that JF-17 Block 3 fighter, thanks to its modula configuration can cary even the latest technology of J-20 fighter stealth fighter. Thats huge.
Watched a clip of Europeans mocking Britain over fuel scarcity in an "I told you so" fashion...BREXIT. This is the only country after France that can provide Europe with a nuclear deterrent.
France on its part could be the pillar of European security as the
United States pivots to the east. Instead its playing Russian roulette with poor African states.
Britain left the EU under acrimonious circumstances. After decades of depending on the U.S on defence, can the EU defend itself in the face of am American retreat?
Europeans tool for granted the role America has played for over 70 years for its security. Now they having a hard time developing their own capability for collective defence. Europe has a long way to go before it can stand on its feet..especially with BREXIT and America's pivot
Troubling development in Mali. My source has picked up on French Special Forces on two helicopters with a ton of supplies arrive a staging base in Mali. This is not good. Its gonna be an eventful week.
Mali's President may seriously want to beef up his security detail.
France has covertly threatened these leaders with assassination. A threat that should not be taken lightly. Its hard to understand why a sovereign state like Mali is denied the right to chart the course of its own future. Thr Wagner Group performed well in Syria.
The Malians are tired of war and want stability. Their decision to reach out to Russia is an embodiment of this determination. French invasive campaign to stop Russian and covert threats to the leader of the Junta is stunning.
I made a decision not to cover the Shiiye incident in Abuja today. It saw it as a delibrate distraction, only to see it on France24 in a one sided and emotion laced coverage. Nigeria never gets a break. Subdue one incident another rears its head. Bizzare.
There seem to be a covert effort and to stir unrest and undermine the central government with the aim of making Nigeria ungovernable.
They hope people would use the social media service to organize mass protests at every given impulse for no reason.
The defeat of insurgent groups or infrastructural developments or even a drop or two of normalcy triggers a vicious response. These out of the blue event are not spontaneous. Who/whatever is behind this go to greath lenghts to conceal their ties.