naptu2: Old news. Circa 2006 the FG ordered Seastar drones from Israel (for use in the Niger Delta, etc) . The Americans were angry about the deal because there was no competitive bidding for the contract (in which american companies would have competed for the deal).

Circa 2011 there were allegations that the drones and other military equipment procured from the Israelis and Chinese were fake. I don't know if the allegations were true or if it was a result of demarketing by the americans.

Nigeria also has home-made drones (amebor 1, 2 and 3).

[size=14pt]Israeli drones under African skies[/size]


Post 04 May 2006

Last Updated on 23 April 2008

By Yossi Melman, Haaretz

Hits: 3899


A few days ago, the American ambassador in Nigeria met with the Nigerian defense minister, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso. The ambassador complained about a major weapons deal that the Nigerian defense ministry had recently signed with the private Israeli company Aeronautics Defense Systems. He was upset that the deal had been given to an Israeli company without an international tender, thereby preventing American companies from bidding. Kwankwaso promised to clarify the issue and get back to him.

But despite the company and the Israeli Defense Ministry's concern over the American intervention, Israeli officials are convinced that the deal will go through.

The deal reflects only a small part of the operations of Aeronautics, a Yavneh-based company that manufactures drones and makes every effort to keep away from the media.


Largest arms deal

This is the largest arms deal that Israel has ever made with Nigeria. It was signed in the Nigerian capital in March between a local daughter company of Aeronautics and the Nigerian defense ministry. The Israeli company has agreed to design, develop, manufacture, install and prepare for operation three Aerostar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle intelligence systems and three Seastar systems for aerial and marine use. Each Aerostar system includes between three and six small unmanned planes, and each plane is equipped with sensors and cameras with both day- and night-vision capabilities. The drones can remain in the air for up to 14 hours.

The Seastar systems have drones that operate from ships and will be used by the Nigerian navy in the Delta region of the Niger River, an oil-rich area that in the last few months has become a battlefield where militias and guerrilla groups are fighting the federal government.

The increasing demand for oil and the hike in oil prices has turned the area into a strategically important region that serves as a focus of activity for American, British and French oil companies - and recently, also Chinese, Russian and Korean companies.

The Aeronautics deal is unusually large for Nigeria, which recently agreed to purchase 15 warplanes and flight training planes from China for a quarter of a billion dollars - $10 million less than it is paying for the Israeli deal.

The aggressive operating and marketing methods practiced by Aeronautics, which was founded in 1997 and is not selective in its choice of clients, have embroiled it in international scandals and a police inquiry over the last two years.

The company's expertise lies in supplying intelligence systems, primarily via drones. At first it won a tender to supply drone services to the IDF for activity in the Gaza area.

Aeronautics beat out Israel Aircraft Industries by offering its services at low prices. With an IDF contract in its pocket, Aeronautics was able to boast, as other manufacturers do, that the system had "proven itself in battle."

The early success whetted the appetite of the small company, which soon began ogling international markets. Aeronautics began operating in African countries, in the midst of civil war, whose corrupt regimes had a rich history of civil-rights violations, such as Equatorial Guinea.

The company's official Web site states that it is now active in India, the United States, England, Ethiopia, Russia, Nepal and Taiwan.


Ivory Coast dealings

In 2005 Aeronautics sold drones to the army of the Ivory Coast, involved in a civil war, while a French peace force was located there. A French unit gained control of Aeronautics equipment and destroyed it.

The Israeli involvement angered France, which demanded that Israel's Defense Ministry instruct Aeronautics and other Israeli companies to cut all ties with the Ivory Coast immediately and obey UN sanctions.

After a delay of several months, Israel was compelled to join countries around the world in imposing sanctions and halting the export of weapons to the Ivory Coast.

It was another episode that led to a police investigation of Aeronautics. The inquiry centered around the suspicion that the company had transferred information to a company in Russia without the Israeli government's permission. The Defense Ministry official responsible for security, Yehiel Horev, has been able to demand serious indictments for similar, suspected violations in the past, but the case was closed in this instance; the official reason was that the company was suspected of "technical violations."


A blind eye

This forgiving attitude toward Aeronautics gave people involved in the security export field the impression that the company had high-level patrons. Its board of directors and consultants include Major General Avigdor ("Yanush" Ben-Gal and former IDF chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, and previously included former Shin Bet security service head Yaakov Perry as well. Perry said he left the company more than a year ago and was not involved in the Nigeria deal. Ben-Gal did not respond to a Haaretz request for comment.

Two Israeli businessmen - Alon Nelken from Savyon and Amit Sadeh, who represents him in Nigeria - mediated the Aeronautics-Nigeria deal. Both are well-connected to Nigerian government officials. To seal the deal, they enlisted the help of former Nigerian president General Ibrahim Babangida, who convinced the country's national security adviser - Lieutenant General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, a powerful figure in Nigeria - of the importance of the Aeronautics deal.

Nelken, 52, came to Nigeria about 25 years ago as a representative of Israeli construction company Solel Boneh. He stayed there, working as a real estate entrepreneur and the owner of a security consulting company. He owns, among other projects, the Mega Plaza mall in Lagos.

The Nigerian government has already paid an advance of 10 percent ($26 million) for the Aeronautics deal, and some $5 million of that amount has been allocated to various agents.

Nelken and Sadeh are not listed in the Israeli Defense Ministry's security assistance division, apparently indicating that they are not allowed to be involved in security exports from Israel or even to conduct negotiations related to such imports. In response to a query on this matter, Aeronautics said: "This is a question that Nelken must be asked." Nelken confirmed that he had been involved in the deal, but refused to describe the extent of his involvement. The Defense Ministry did not respond to questions on the matter.

Nelken and Auronautics said the company had won the tender legally, beating out an American company, and is operating with the coordination and approval of the Israeli Defense Ministry.


History of close ties

Israel and Nigeria - the most populated country in Africa - share a history of close ties. Israeli companies operate in Nigeria in the fields of infrastructure, communications and agriculture. Hundreds of Israelis live there and ships belonging to the Israeli Zim shipping company stop at Nigerian ports. The two countries have long had security ties, and Israeli companies have previously sold Nigeria weapons for its police and military forces and its intelligence services.

Until a few years ago, Israeli Brigadier General (Res.) Shlomo Ilya was one of the major players in the supply of arms and security equipment to Nigeria. At the time, he was joined by Ben-Gal and Meir Dagan, now head of the Mossad.

Several Israeli companies operate in the Niger Delta, including JDP, which is owned by the Ashtrom International construction group and SCC, owned by Yosef Kalish from Haifa (who also owns the Sharbiv construction company in Israel.)

These companies are involved in infrastructure and agriculture initiatives and employ hundreds of workers.


Good for the State of Israel?

The Israeli embassy in Abuja was in on the secret contacts. Ambassador Noam Katz refused to discuss the issue, but an official Israeli source said that the deal involved "equipment that doesn't shoot," and that it was good for the State of Israel, especially in light of Nigeria's strengthened position as one of the world's major oil exporters.

However, some Israelis - and not just business competitors - are criticizing the deal. They say they are concerned that the presence of Israeli arms in Nigeria, especially in the Delta region, is liable to have negative ramifications. An Israeli businessman warned there was a fear that "due to the deal, the local population, with which we have excellent ties, will identify Israel and Israelis with its enemies."

illitrate: Nigerian defence and security equipment contractor, Alh. Rabiu Hassan, yesterday, alleged that some Israeli security contractors (names withheld) were fleecing the nation of huge sums of money in hard currencies by supplying either non-functional equipments or collecting mobilisation fees without making supplies.

The contractor told journalists in Abuja that at a time the nation was facing dire security challenges, three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, popularly known as drones, supplied by the Israelis were rotting away in a hangar in Benin because they were non-functional.

He added that even at that, Nigeria was made to pay far more than the cost of the most sophisticated drones currently used by United States of America, USA.

Hassan, who said he had petitioned the Presidency and relevant anti-corruption agencies, said although he was a contractor himself, he had to cry out for a probe into the activities of the affected companies with a view to arresting the situation.

He said: “As we talk, there are three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which are popularly called drones, supplied by the Israelis which have never worked. They are parked right now at a hangar in Benin. They have never worked since they were supplied.”

He said the non-functional drones cost the nation $240 million, adding that the Israeli behind the drones deal had operated in the country for over a decade and had infiltrated the top echelon of successive administrations in the country, where he had entrenched himself.

He equally disclosed that another set of two Israelis were on the verge of sealing a deal for leasing two spy satellites to Nigeria at a cost considered to be another rip-off as they had asked Nigeria to pay 145 million Euros for a project, which cost had been put at $40 million by Imagesat, the manufacturers in Israel.

Hassan said: “I have personally gone to Israel and found out from the manufacturers what the cost is. It is $40 million for the total project. It is curious that they (contractors) are quoting 145 million Euros.

“The Israeli company does not quote in Euros, they only quote in dollars. Nigerians must ask questions: is there any such contract at $145 million? This can’t happen elsewhere in the world.”

Hassan, who said he was crying out as a patriotic Nigeria, disclosed that he would be at the State Security Service, SSS, and the Office of the National Security on their invitation to give more details on his petition.

According to him, he had earlier made a preliminary statement at the SSS and was determined to ensure that the matter was not swept under the carpet. He said the entire activities of the Israeli firms in the nation’s security sector must be probed.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/isreali-contractors-sold-nigeria-240m-non-functional-drones/

abohrandy: dafuq is that? thought drones were alot smaller!!

abohrandy: dafuq is that? thought drones were alot smaller!!

naptu2: Amebor.

[img]http://beegeagle.files./2012/10/plateau_state_delegation_visit_to_air_force_institute_of_technology_4_20120706_13653689243.jpg[/img]

Obiagelli:
I thought amebo 1 was actually made in Nigeria by the airforce

naptu2:

Yes. It's made by the Nigeria Air Force Institute of Technology. It's the Aerostars that are imported from Israel.

Obiagelli:
I hope they have not abandoned the project? Thanks for the clarification

[size=14pt]Young NAF officers design, build drone[/size]

on January 23, 2013

By Luka Binniyat

KADUNA — Young officers from Nigerian Air Force School of Engineers, Aircraft Design Centre, Kaduna, yesterday, dazzled the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa when they displayed to him an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, referred to as drone, which could fly non-stop for about four hours at 3000 feet.

The drone was conceptualised, designed and built by them in Kaduna under the direct supervision of the Provost of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Institute of Technology, Prof. Emmanuel Ezugwu.

According to officials of the institute, the drone’s empenage was about three metres while the wing span was about half a metre.

The four officers, all Flight Lieutenants, said it was a three-year effort in collaboration with Cranfield University of United Kingdom with funds from the Federal Government.

The officers who asked that all the credit for break through be given to the Commandant of the school and Chief of Air Staff pleaded that their names be not mentioned in the press.

The school had earlier displayed a conceptualised model of an ab-initio training fighter aircraft known as Farawa (meaning “the beginning” in Hausa) for the Air Force just as it was trying to design a Nigerian-made Air Beattle, AB-18, for the Air Force.

The four officers had bagged Masters degrees in various fields related to avionics from Cranfield University, after their first degrees from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.

They told Vanguard: “We designed and built this UAV based on the pressing needs of our country today. The vehicle can be used in pipeline monitoring, border patrol, mapping and disaster monitoring. Other areas of use include  maritime patrol, aerial surveillance and pest monitoring.

“The vehicle can fly at 3000 feet, and remain airborne for four hours using petrol for now. The first one we built is called Amebo 1. The second one is Amebo 2 and is an improvement over the first.
“If we keep getting the right support as we are getting now, we will accomplish our mission for the country.”

In fact in the next five years, we may start building our own light aircraft for training new pilots”, the officers said.

The Minister who was obviously amazed at the development was in Kaduna attending the National Stakeholders’ Workshop/Exhibition on National System of Innovation, NSI, during which several inventions by Nigerians were exhibited.

Earlier in his opening remarks at ceremony the Minister had said, “as demonstration of the drive towards promoting innovations the Ministry is calling for entries for the maiden, ‘’Best

Innovation/Invention Award.’’

The award which was open to individuals, institutions and corporate bodies  has a grand prize of N1 million.

Eluala: Engineers Develop Single-Wing Twirling Drone
February 2010
By Grace V. Jean



Lockheed Martin Corp. engineers have unveiled a tiny aerial drone that spins like a falling maple seed.

The New Jersey-based developers say the autonomous, single-wing aircraft, called the Samurai, is envisioned as a family of palm-sized unmanned aerial vehicles that can hover, as well as take off and land vertically.

The team’s Samurai demonstrator weighs 600 grams and is about 100 centimeters long. At one end of the wing is a disc containing the vehicle’s avionics and electronics, including software that controls the aircraft’s flight via a flap on the wing.

“It’s the first single-wing UAV to demonstrate full autonomous flight,” says Kingsley Fregene, principal investigator on the project.

The prototype spins around a wooden peg on the ground that launches it into the air. It flies to pre-programmed waypoints and then lands on the ground. Powered by an electric motor, the aircraft rotates 300 times per minute and can carry a payload of 300 grams.

“When it’s spinning, it’s stable in the air, unlike a conventional helicopter, which is inherently unstable when it’s hovering,” Fregene says.

An on-board camera captures video. Engineers are developing software that synchronizes the images four times per rotation to give operators a stable view from the aircraft.

The team has scaled down the vehicle to a bat-sized prototype that can be tossed like a boomerang into flight. Its propulsion system will support an electric motor as well as a micro-pulsejet engine, Fregene says. His team will integrate the non-electric propulsion system into the prototype with a goal of flying it by late summer. The idea is to miniaturize the components into a 10-centimeter version of the aircraft, which has been modeled and flown in simulations. The concept was originally funded in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency nano air vehicle program.

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2010/February/Pages/EngineersDevelopSingle-WingTwirlingDrone.aspx

naptu2: I just read a report that said that the aerostar and seastar drones are not defective, but that they were grounded as a result of a dispute.

The report claimed that the drones were deployed to monitor pipelines (vandalisation, bunkering, etc), but that the data gotten from the drones is first taken to Israel and analysed there before being given to the Nigerian Government.

The government wasn't happy about this development because it expected that Nigerian technicians would have been trained to analyse the data (they fear that the Isrealis may gain vital intelligence and even edit or modify the data before it is given to the FG). This, the report claims, is one of the reasons that the FG decided to ground the drones and fast-track the development of the amebor series of drones.

I do not know if the report is accurate.