Thread by @DefenseNigeria

The Rise and Fall and Rise again of the Nigerian Navy.

The 1970s and 1980s saw a major expansion of the Nigerian navy’s surface fleet. By 1981, the Nigerian Navy was a potent force with a German designed MEKO 360H class guided missile frigate, NNS Aradu spearheading a fleet that included a smaller, older frigate,

NNS Obuma, four corvettes of the Dorina and Erin’mi classes and six missile boats, three Ekpe class of German design and three Siri class of French design. In addition to there was a capable force of minesweepers and hard a robust anti-submarine warfare capability.

At the time, the Nigerian navy was the best equipped surface fleet in sub-Saharan Africa. However at the turn of the decade the number of operational platforms plummeted, compounded by financial problems brought about by falling oil prices.

In 2009 the navy had twenty five major surface assets combatants and support ships and no fewer than twenty were non operational.

Fiscal constraint meant the Navy could no longer carry out routine maintenance and serviceability level plumetted.

Our most powerful and modern frigate NNS Aradu suffered the ignominy of breaking down off the coast of Monrovia, Liberia in 1997 while deployed in support of Nigerian troops operating as part of ECOMOG

Not only was the serviceability of surface fleet severely compromised by fiscal constraint, the missiles, torpedoes and other complex weapons systems was adversely affected. The OTOMAT anti-ship missiles equipping the Aradu and Ekpe classes were never subject to a

life extension program and no new missiles were ever purchased. This also applied to the Exocet anti-ship missiles of the Siri class and the Aspide surface-to-air missiles of the Aradu. However the Nigerian Navy is slowly clawing its way back to being a viable force.

Over the last six years, the Nigerian Navy has acquired a total of 378 platforms. Nigeria’s most capable acquisitions are two P18N Stealth Offshore Patrol Vessels, NNS UNITY and NNS CENTENARY, based on China's Type 056 missile corvette

Unlike the Type 056, the P18Ns have helicopter hangars and an oil support recovery system for dealing with oil spills. These two OPVs, alongside the two Hamilton class vessels NNS Thunder and Okpabana represent the most potent surface assets available to the Nigerian Navy.

Ehile the prestige of having missile frigates like the Aradu and a force of missile boats is undoubtedly attractive, Nigeria eschewed such an approach in favour of acquiring patrol vessels to secure its EEZ and to deal with maritime crimes such as piracy,..

..until April 2021 when the Nigerian Navy announced plans to revive two guided missile Frigate to replace the Aradu as the flagship of the Nigerian Navy.