Those having fits over Nigeria's re-armament are in for a rough ride as the NAF prepares to take delivery of the first Squadron (twelve) of M-346FA in December.
Twenty four M-346FA's will replace the iconic Alpha Jets fleet of 16 aircafts. Aquired in the mid- 80s they are the oldest serving aircafts in the NAF inventory. 1990
The Alpha jets were deployed to Liberia during ECOMOG peacekeeping operations where they sunk ships running guns for Chalrlse Taylor in the Seaport of Buchanan and hammered rebel gun emplacements at Charles Taylor’s headquarters in Kakata, forcing him to move his base.
"The firepower of NAF fighter aircraft has finally dealt an incalculable blow to the war effort of the NPFL leader"
- TIME Magazine.
Charles Taylor wasnt done. In October 1992 Taylor launched a massive assault on Monrovia. A year and half after the last ECOMOG forces left.
A detachment of six NAF Alpha Jets flew over a thousand missions in response, employing Beluga cluster bombs a 628 pound munition that disperses 152 small bomblets by parachute. The NAF’s search and destroy mission were so effective that the NPFL began attacking at night lol
The Alpha Jet was not built for night attack missions, but the NAF, banking on the experience of its pilots did the unthinkable. They began flying attack missions from bases in Kainji at NIGHT !!
Helpless against Nigerian air power, NPLA forces began using civilians as human shields to deter the Alpha jets. Unable to hit NPLA positions due to civilians, Alpha jets began hitting NPLF supply convoys and naval vessels, sinking six of the group's cargo ships.
In 1995 fighting erupted in Sierra-Leone as various warlords fought over the country's mine fields. There were cases of rape, cannibalism, mutilation and murders.
The NAF deployed a pair of Alpha jets to support the ECOMOG Task Force that was deployed.
Alpha jets are heavily armed with rockets, cannons and they were put to good use. NAF Alpha jets
pounded RUF positions with bombs and rockets until they began to flee straight into ambush parties lying in wait.
The airstrikes succeeded in driving the RUF from the country and led to the Abidjan peace accords in 1996.
That accorded lasted barely a year before fighting erupted once again for control of the country's rich uranuim mine fields.
NAF Alpha jets flying from bases in Nigeria dropped cluster bombs on rebel positions in Kenema and the capital Freetown. That was enough to subdue the rebels.
In 1999 the RUF changed its name to the West Side Boys and overran the capital Freetown, killing 6,000 people.
There was also reports of mass amputations. About 3,000 civilians were amputed. The RUF commander openly dared ECOMOG to intervene. Irritated by the constant fighting Nigeria unilaterally launched an invasion of Sierra-Leone with thousands of troops and amoured vehicles.
The 3,000 Nigerian troops supported by Alpha Jets launched a bloody counterassault that drove the rebels out of the capital Freetown. During the invasion 10 aircrafts sustained heavy damage from anti-aircraft fire and one Alpha jets was shot down. Athough the crew survived.
Alpha jets did not see much action against Niger Delta insurgent. Helicopter gunships were the aircraft of choice, where they operated from the 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG) Port Harcourt.
The NAF was actually planning to retire the Alpha jets when the Boko Haram insurgency began. Thirteen Alpha jets were taken out of near retirement and refurbished for combat operations, where they deployed alongside F-7Ni fighters to provide ground support for troops.
No other nation in the world has made combat use of the Alpha jets as the Nigeria. It is the most iconic aircaft in the Nigerian Air Force. But its time has come to an end. The JF-17 fighter, Super Tucano and M-346 FA represents the new era of Nigerian Air Power.
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To cap it all, here is Italy's deputy Prime Minister blaming France for the migrant crises, accusing France of impoverished African nations with its colonial policy, and even going as far as calling for sanctions against France.
When you have a first world developed nation financing its public debts with the external reserves of 14 of Africa's poorest and least developed nations via its colonial taxes, you realize France will never let go of Africa. They are ready to sponsor coups and go to war.
In April, Macron himself said " Democracy can WAIT" and warned France will not tolerate any threat to Chad. There is a good reason why Cameroons Paul Biya has maintained his grip on power for 40 years. There is a reason why Idris Derby maintained his grip on power for 36 years.
In a clever bit of subterfuge they are accusing Turkey of having ulterior motives and drawing a false equivalent between Russian involvement in Mali and Nigeria.
This guy is basically saying the Governor of Zamfara is unilaterally aquiring arms, drawing up its own foreign policy and trading with a foreign power.
Make no mistake, this is not borne out of ignorance, he is fully aware of how Nigerian Federalism works.
But thats beside the point. The main objective here is to paint Nigeria as a failed state where the central government has fallen and its all man for himself. He is preying on the fact that majority of viewers dont know better any better.
After returning from a trip to Turkey months ago, Zamfara state governors said he is helping secure a deal for first class drones from Turkey. France 24 somehow manages to spin a narrative suggesting the Nigerian military is so weak state governors are now unilaterally
.aquiring their own armed attack drones. Not only is this a delibrate and malicious distortion of the fact, they bring in a panel of analysts that, from they say know nothing about the military.
Nigeria has the most extensive intelligence gathering assets in sub saharan Africa. Preceding any airstrike ISR aircafts take to the skies to hunt for insurgent positions. Once spotted fighters are scrambled.
FRANCE24 analysts criticizing Nigeria's investment in its military at the expensive of the economy. Is this a joke?
Nigeria spends less than 2% of its GDP on defence compared to 6% on infrastructure. As a percentage of GDP Nigeria is not spending near enough on defence given is security imperatives. France's greatest ally, the late Derby never made investments in economic development.
Prioritising security, defence expenditures at a rate of 14% of the national budget. The result has been 20 years of worsening economic conditions for the already impoverished people of Chad. Highest infant mortality and illiteracy rate in the world. Chad struck oil in 2003..
Cameroonian troops yesterday crossed the border into Nigeria, shooting sporadically and sending Nigerians fleeing, some taking refuge in camps for internally displaced persons.
This is a calculated offensive from Cameroon
on Nigeria. They have yet again shown outright defiance to Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty and dammed the consequences of crossing the international boundary to intimidate and harass already alarmed citizens.
The govt owned media in Cameroon accuse Nigeria of sheltering Anglophone insurgents. Since the media is governments owned, it means the Yaounde is preparing the people for any eventuality. This is the second such incursion in the space of one month
After 44 watsed years of military dictatorship Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 2000. The first three years was peaceful. GDP grew at a staggering 200%. Since then Nigeria has been mirred by a myriad of security challenges and strife for 18 uninterrupted years.
We built the largest economy, greatest infrastructure, greatest music and film industry, a high tech hub...all on the back of epileptic power supply and one insurgency after another. Can you imagine what will happen if we had just a decade of stability to focus on development?
Three decades of peace transformed China into a worlds infrastructural juggernaut. In one year alone China built a high speed rail network of over 10,000 km, far exceeding that in any other country and larger than the network in the European Union.