Nigeria gets N4 billion investment in military clothing factory
Published Date Feb 28, 2019 15:00 PM The Nigerian Defence Industries Corporation (DICON) through the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has entered into a Public-Private Partnership with Sur Corporate Wares of the Republic of Turkey.
The partnership is expected to bring an estimated N4 billion investment by Sur Corporate Wares in the establishment of a military and paramilitary clothing and accessories factory to be set up in Kaduna state.
This was hinted yesterday in Abuja when the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali was presented the Full Business Case (FBC) Compliance Certificate by the Director General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Chidi Izuwa.
Dan-Ali noted that, “over the years, it is regrettable that Nigeria has relied heavily on importation of not only military hard wears and ammunitions but also clothing and accessories.”
He said the government is committed to the task of establishing a functional Military Industrial Complex that will provide indigenous support for adequate kitting and equipping of the Armed Forces.
He said, “The issuance of the Full Business Case Compliance Certificate for this project has lent credence to the potential of the project to herald the revival of a once thriving sector in Nigeria.”
He said once completed, the venture is expected to sufficiently meet the accoutrement needs of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other uniformed Paramilitary organizations.
He said, “This will further help in creating direct and indirect job opportunities for the teeming youth in the country as well as conserving our foreign exchange.”
Sur Corporate Wares has agreed to build the factory and provide equipment for production on a site made available on the premises of DICON in Kaduna.
The PAF pilot killed in F-16 crash was Wing Commander Shahzaz Ud Din of No 19 Squadron which belongs to PAF’s F-16 Squadron. Shahzaz is the son of Air Marshal Waseem Ud Din, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) PAF. "It is tragic to note that his martyrdom is yet to be recognized by the Pakistani establishment."
It looks like what Pakistani authorities were saying was not true about not sustaining any casualties in Yesterday’s infiltration attempt. This is because a video has surfaced on social media in which it could be seen that Pakistani Armed Forces and Authorities are inspecting the wreckage of a Fighter. And by looking at the wreckage many experts are speculating that the wreckage is of Pakistan Air Force’s F-16.
This looks like a part of the engine section of the F-16 as shown in this image.
In this image, Pakistani Authorities could be seen inspecting the wreckage of the aircraft.
On Wednesday Pakistan’s F-16s tried to cross the Line of Control and infiltrate the Indian Air Space. This infiltration attempt came in response to the recent Air Strike conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF conducted the Air Strike to take out high-value targets at JeM terror camp near the Balakot district of Pakistan.
This infiltration attempt resulted in the interception of one Pakistan’s F-16 along with one of India’s Mig-21. The status of the F-16’s pilot is unknown as Pakistan hasn’t officially accepted any loss from their side but IAF’s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was piloting the Mig-21, has been captured by Pakistani Authorities.
The Army has a Commando type force- Army Strike Group
The idea is that the Navy should field their own Tier 2 Units, trained to support and assist the SBS but right-sized to conduct missions like Long Range Patrols or amphibious assaults independently. (eg: 2x Commando Battalions and 1x Support Battalion)
Anyways untill the designs r freezed officially one cannot be sure , the canards might also get dropped in the final production design.
Without the canards a Tejas2 would look very much like a cloned Mirage 2000 Mk3. I understand the Tejas2 as complementary system for maintaining a high-low fleet mix for the IAF. Lately even Israel and the USAF started discussing the acquisition of Gen 4 Fighters like the F-15 again. No doubt stealth and high performance are going to become a key element in modern air warfare but it is not always needed. There are many missions where a (relatively) "low-tech" fighter can do the job for a friction of the cost, this kind of workhorses are still needed in the next decade.
Odunayaw: I guess so too. The SBS is getting too land oriented IMO
The Navy should establish a Commando Regiment to span the gap between conventional infantry operations and special operations, to enable the SBS focusing on maritime/riverine operations and direct action missions.
Video footage from Central Africa shows Portuguese Airbornes (Tropas Paraquedistas) in heavy combat with african rebels in the area of Bambari in the Central African Republic earlier this month. The combat footage was recorded during a major operation that included 50 hours of heavy combat firefights and led to the seizure of a rebel base in the area of Bambari. Portuguese armed forces declared the operation a success with no own casualties .
The Airbornes of the Portuguese armed forces are currently operating under the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic. The battle began when African rebels of the UPC (Union for Peace in the Central African Republic) launched a violent attack on the town of Bambari, some 400 kilometres from the capital Bangui, in a bid to seize resources and extort the local population by collecting taxes. The UPC is a former member of the Seleka rebel alliance, a coalition of mainly Muslim groups that seized power in the majority Christian country in 2013. Portuguese Airbornes in heavy combat with rebellions in Central African Republic
The Portuguese Airborne (Portuguese: Tropas Paraquedistas) are an elite infantry assault force, representing the bulk of the airborne forces of Portugal. They were created in 1956 as part of the Portuguese Air Force, being transferred to the Portuguese Army in 1993. Presently, most of the Paratroopers are part of the Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade which comprises all 3 special forces troops. The Portuguese Paratroopers were usually nicknamed “Paras” or “Green Berets” (Boinas Verdes).
@nemesis8u: Great update on the Aero 2019 !! Really like the LCA MK2. Just an observation but Canards on the LCA MK2 somehow got a unusual location on the airframe compared to the euro canard fighters (Rafale, Thyphoon, Gripen). So i have high hopes that HAL finally designed a fighter jet that could potentially attract international customers.
TROOPS OF SPECIAL FORCES SCHOOL & 27 TASK FORCE BRIGADE INFLICT SERIOUS DESTRUCTION TO BH TERRORISTS
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Though, the terrorists appeared prepared for the attack as they approached the military location with 4 gun trucks,1 Mine Resistant Ambush Protection,1 MOWAC and assorted arms and ammunitions, they, however, suffered heavy losses as five of the bandits/terrorists were effectively deleted, 9 x AK 47 rifles, 1x Anti Aircraft gun, 121 rounds of 12.7 mm Anti Aircraft ammunitions, 2x 36 hand grenades, 295 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, 4x Improvised Explosive(IED) Device, 1x IED cylinder, 1x RPG bomb, 1x RPG bomb charger, 1x gun truck and 1x Bajaj Motorcycle were recovered..
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Despite the terrible the losses of life (our soilders) it is concerning that Boko Haram used stolen MOWAC and MRAP in this attack and got away with it. Does this mean there are no NAF Combat platforms available to take them out?
Army Launches Hunt For 56,000 Night Sights For Assault Rifles
The army wants 40,000 image intensifier-based night sights and 16,000 thermal imaging based night sights, officials said. Original equipment manufacturers have been asked to respond to both RFIs by March 15, 2019
The Indian Army on Monday issued two requests for information (RFI) for equipping thousands of assault rifles with two different types of night sights to bolster the night-fighting capabilities of its soldiers, two officials familiar with the development said.
The army has launched a hunt for image intensifier and thermal imaging-based night sights for a total of 56,000 7.62 X 51 mm assault rifles, according to the RFIs. Image intensifier-based night sights amplify ambient light for detecting targets, while thermal imaging sights spot targets by their body heat.
The army wants 40,000 image intensifier-based night sights and 16,000 thermal imaging based night sights, the officials said. The RFI for image intensifiers states that its sight should allow soldiers to aim up to 500 metres and to detect a human target at minimum 600 metres. Another key army requirement is that the sights should have a service life of 10,000 hours of operation or 10 years, whichever is earlier.
The second RFI states that the thermal imaging-based sights should facilitate accurate engagement of targets at a range of 500 metres. The sights should also be able to detect a moving human target at 800 metres and recognise it at 500 metres. These sights should have a minimum service life of 10,000 hours of operation or 12 years, whichever is earlier.
Original equipment manufacturers have been asked to respond to both RFIs by March 15, 2019. The requests for proposals for the night sights will be issued in August 2019 to take the proposed procurement forward.
According to the RFIs, the image intensifier-based night sights have to be delivered between six to 48 months of the signing of contract and the thermal imaging-based night sights will have to be supplied between six to 24 months.
The infantry is virtually blind and the night sights will provide soldiers a much-needed capability, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General BS Jaswal (Retd).
“Even if the surveillance equipment detects the enemy, the shooter can’t see the target. Despite detection, there is no integration between the shooter and the sensor for accurate engagement,” he said.
“World over armies are going in for shooter-to-sensor integration. It is the need of the hour for the Indian Army too. Ideally, we should go in for night sights for 7.62 X 39 mm rifles too.”
56,000 Night-/Thermal sights is significant volume! Not sure how many NATO countries field this number of advances sights.
TB / FAE bombs don't give off high vertical plume ( for a rough analogue - mushroom cloud ) and FAE bombs have 2 distinct set of detonations, not differentiable easily but shows in a thermal imager via a 2nd more hotter plume
Thanks for reply. I saw a couple of videos with HE bombs dropped on areas with dense vegetation (Afghanistan and Libanon), never saw any trees on fire. Regrading to the vertical plume please watch this video of russian FAE in Syria. Similar blast effct what we see in some NAF videos.
It is possible that the NAF is using Thermobaric/Aerosol bombs? I watched a couple of NAF air strikes on youtube over the last weeks and i saw several times how green trees catched fire after a bombing. I wonder if that could be the result of of high heat generation as an effect of thermobaric blasts.
Indian Defence Ministry approves purchase of 73,000 Sig Sauer 716-G2 assault rifles
Sig Sauer 716 G2 assault rifle
he Indian Defence Ministry has cleared a long-pending proposal of the Army to purchase around 73,000 Sig Sauer 716-G2 assault rifles for a value set at $97 million under fast track mode, official sources said on 2 February, The Times of India reports.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of the Sig Sauer rifles which will be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km border with China, the sources told PTI. They said the rifles are being bought under the fast track procurement procedure. "The contract is expected to be finalized within a week. The US firm will have to deliver the rifles within one year from the date of finalising the deal," said a senior official involved in negotiation of the deal said.
Army sources said the US-manufactured rifles will replace the Insas rifles. The world's second largest standing Army has been pressing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security threats including along India's borders with Pakistan and China.
In October, 2017, the Army began the process to acquire around 700,000 assault rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines. However, only rifles have been cleared while the deal for carbines and LMGs remain pending. Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests. Following it, the Army started scouting for rifles from the global market.
The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons including the Army's failure to finalise the specifications for it. The Army needs around 700,000 7.62x51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles.
India also procured 5,719 Italian Beretta .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT and US' Barrett .50-calibre M95 sniper rifles in January to replace the aging Russian-made Dragunov sniper rifles used by troops stationed at the LOC with Pakistan.
Rosoboronexport starts promoting new series of Kalashnikov assault rifles
"Export permits for the newest Kalashnikov AK200 series assault rifles have been obtained. From now on, Rosoboronexport may offer its partners the AK200, AK203, AK204 and AK205 versions, which will make their international debut at IDEX 2019," said Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev. "In Abu Dhabi, Rosoboronexport will hold presentations of these rifles in the course of negotiations with foreign customers on the supply of small arms. We expect strong demand for them in the Middle East and around the world."
The Kalashnikov AK200 series assault rifles are in line with all current trends in small arms development, while retaining the best qualities of the AK-47, the legendary brainchild of the great Russian gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov, whose 100th anniversary of the birth will be marked in 2019. "Currently, AK200 series assault rifles are supplied to government customers in Russia and are also ready to be exported abroad to partners who impose more stringent requirements on small arms. The Kalashnikov AK200 series rifles are our strategic product in the export area. In the framework of IDEX 2019, we have scheduled a series of negotiations where, among other things, we will discuss the new AK series," commented Vladimir Dmitriev, Director General of Kalashnikov Concern.
"At IDEX 2019, Russia will showcase cutting-edge weapons and military equipment for countries in the Middle East region, which is of particular interest to Russian industry. The AK200 series assault rifles will be a key novelty that visitors to IDEX 2019 will see. The newest Russian Kalashnikov rifles have a considerable export potential," said Sergey Abramov, Industrial Director of the Armament Cluster at Rostec.
The AK200 series rifles have retained all the advantages of the traditional AK pattern: reliability, durability and ease of maintenance. The rifle is equipped with integral Picatinny rail and can be fitted with necessary detachable equipment for the effective use of the weapon in various conditions, including in reduced visibility.
The length-adjustable buttplate and a number of ergonomic solutions for optimizing controls enable the users to fully realize their shooting skills, regardless of their anthropometric indicators and the availability of a variety of personal clothing, gear and equipment. The AK200 series has successfully passed the testing program, meets all the requirements for modern small arms and is an effective small arms system.
True but the canards mess up the stealth concept and increase the RCS. But maybe they didn't have a 100% stealthy aircraft in mind while designing the aircraft.
My point is that the FLIR BRITE Star II multi-sensor targeting imager that can also do ISR is ......ONE step below the capabilities of a full targeting pod.
How do you come to this conclusion? The BRITE Star II laser has a targeting range of 20km and works with Paveway II, Hellfire and any other Laser guided ATGM, not good enough?
The Tucano already has a very modern target acquisition and surveillance system which allows the aircraft deploy laser guided munitions. It doesn't need to carry a pod since it already has a built in FLIR system.
In fact seven AN/AAQ-22F Brite Star II 'turrets' are included in the Tucanos deal to be fitted underbelly on the platforms if needed.
I see, but I wondered the rifle has a rail on the upper foregripp but not on the upper receiver. Upper receiver rails are way more versatile and almost standard on new rifles. In nature (old) rifles are just upgraded with a set of affordable polymer parts (100$), while the aluminium upper receiver alone is often too costly to replace (200$). This how I came to this conclusion.