Odunayaw:
Classic April fool news

yeah

GreenOris:
As a hardcore Liverpool fan i am deeply pained

Apologies bro

Iranian Navy 86th flotilla docks at Port of Cape Town in South Africa
https://hamsonews.com/en/iranian-navy-86th-flotilla-docks-at-port-of-cape-town-in-south-africa/

"IL-76TD (Ex-76007) of Sapsan Airlines of Kazakhstan at Pemba, Mozambique this past week. The aircraft was undertaking a logistic flight under #SANDF charter between AFB Waterkloof and Pemba.
About 1,200 SANDF troops are deployed to Moz under SAMIM as Op Vikela."

sahureka:
Iranian Navy 86th flotilla docks at Port of Cape Town in South Africa
https://hamsonews.com/en/iranian-navy-86th-flotilla-docks-at-port-of-cape-town-in-south-africa/

The ANC is attracting all kinds of problems to our shores.

GreenandGold:


The ANC is attracting all kinds of problems to our shores.

There is no problem of whatsoever.
Why should SA hate anybody uncle Sam hates.
I personally hate the idea of impressing foreign nation jst to be in their good book.
This foreign country can't even be pleased.
Its jst a visit not like SA is supplying them anything or giving them some kind of information.
Stop getting paranoid.

QuietMynd:

There is no problem of whatsoever.
Why should SA hate anybody uncle Sam hates.
I personally hate the idea of impressing foreign nation jst to be in their good book.
This foreign country can't even be pleased.
Its jst a visit not like SA is supplying them anything or giving them some kind of information.
Stop getting paranoid.

Why must it always be about the US?

Why is your line of thought patterned that way? Does it mean that whenever the US and and another country's foreign politics align, then the other country is trying to please the US?

Following your line of thought, it means that Nigeria is fighting BH to please America.

GreenandGold:


The ANC is attracting all kinds of problems to our shores.

If the ANC is offended with Israel and satisfied with Iran, does it not make them hypocrites?

I mean, they've been vocal about Isreal's oppressiveness but quiet about the atrocities of Iran, killing and jailing protesters, oppression of women and Sunni minorities.

Faithful007:
If the ANC is offended with Israel and satisfied with Iran, does it not make them hypocrites?

I mean, they've been vocal about Isreal's oppressiveness but quiet about the atrocities of Iran, killing and jailing protesters, oppression of women and Sunni minorities.

We have not had a coherent foreign policy since Mbeki left the presidency.

QuietMynd:

There is no problem of whatsoever.
Why should SA hate anybody uncle Sam hates.
I personally hate the idea of impressing foreign nation jst to be in their good book.
This foreign country can't even be pleased.
Its jst a visit not like SA is supplying them anything or giving them some kind of information.
Stop getting paranoid.

Iran is not our fore, however, they are not our ally either. We have no international trade organisational association with them, they're neither a G20 nor a BRICS member.

Yes, we like to consider ourselves as Non-Aligned BUT that does not mean we should sleep in bed with whoever is going to cost us our long-term prosperity.

Faithful007:
Why must it always be about the US?

Why is your line of thought patterned that way? Does it mean that whenever the US and and another country's foreign politics align, then the other country is trying to please the US?

Following your line of thought, it means that Nigeria is fighting BH to please America.

The Nigerian Army has taken delivery of another batch of 125 CS/VP3 MRAP’s from Chinese defence giant Poly Group.
Photo credit - jake

Meanwhile in the DRC


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M3T_nFEs9I

An Argentina-Air Force C-130 embarked over to Nigeria to deliver the first INVAP radar export to a nation.
INVAP, the world-renowned Argentinian technology company signed a deal for provision of 2 3D mobile primary radars for FAAN, model RPA-200MC, in Nigeria.
@SAdefense

Nigerian Navy Intercepts Hijacked Vessel, Rescues Crew Members


The Nigerian Navy has intercepted and rescued Motor Tanker (MT) MONJASA REFORMER off the Island of Principe.

MT MONJASA REFORMER with IMO number 9255878 was attacked and boarded by pirates on 25 March 2023 at about 2239 UTC in position 05:29.35 South – 009:34.00 East, around 144 nautical miles (nm) West-South-West of Pointe-Noire, Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a statement, the Director of Information Navy Commodore Adedotun Ayo- Vaughan said “At the time of the attack, the vessel was also about 95 nm off the Etame Terminal”.

According to him, the pirates using a skiff drew close up, forcefully boarded the vessel and held 16 crew hostage.

Commodore Vaughan noted that upon receipt of the incident which was conveyed to the Nigerian Navy by the West Africa Regional Maritime Security Centre (CRESMAO) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the Nigerian Navy swung into action.

He said that “the Nigerian Navy surveillance infrastructure was used to search, locate and track the vessel despite the fact that the pirates disabled the Automatic Identification System and communication set onboard”.

He added that it is imperative to state that the hijacked vessel is registered in Liberia but owned by Danish Monjasa Chartering III DMCC.

According to him, the vessel arrived the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) on 14 February 2023 following its departure from Amsterdam and had visited Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and Gabon for petroleum products-related trade before her hijack.

Nigerian Navy Rescues 18 Victims, Arrests 2 Human Traffickers
Group commends Nigerian Navy’s Fight against Terrorism In Lake Chad
Maritime: Piracy drops in Nigerian waters, Gulf of Guinea
It was observed that the pirates navigated the vessel northwards of the GoG passing Gabon and Cameroon on 28 and 29 March 2023 before heading to and arriving at Sao Tome and Principe, off the Joint Development Zone on 30 March 2023.

Collaborative efforts
Commendably, the Nigerian Navy collaborated with the French Navy Ship, PREMIER-MAÎTRE L’HER, which was on patrol within the Gulf of Guinea (under the Coordinated Maritime Presence arrangement) and had sighted the hijacked vessel.

“As the vessel approached Nigeria’s maritime environment, the Nigerian Navy vectored her ship, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) GONGOLA to intercept MT MONJASA REFORMER and rescue the crew members held hostage. Accordingly, NNS GONGOLA intercepted the hijacked Tanker, MONJASA REFORMER, adrift 76nm off the Island of Principe”, he said.

However, it was discovered that the pirates had disembarked with 6 crew members to an unknown destination while underway in the Sao Tome and Principe Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Considering the need to secure the vessel and ensure her safe arrival to her destination, the Nigerian Navy deployed NNS KANO in the company of the French Offshore Patrol Vessel to escort the vessel to Lome, Togo.

MT MONJASA REFORMER arrived Lome, Togo, at about 1800 WAT on 1 April 2023. Efforts are being made by the Nigerian Navy, her strategic partners and other relevant agencies to track the pirates in order to ensure the safe release of the abductees.

Botswana Loses Sixth Soldier in Mozambique Mission

Gaborone, Botswana —

Botswana has announced the country has lost a sixth soldier sent to fight insurgents in Mozambique.

Botswana Defense Force spokesperson Magosi Moshagane said in a recent media statement that the unnamed soldier committed suicide in Cabo Delgado province, where African troops are battling Islamist insurgents.

Moshagane said investigations are under way to establish the circumstances surrounding the death.

In December, a high-ranking BDF army official killed a female subordinate and injured a colleague, before turning a gun on himself. In the same month, the army lost one member in combat, while two died due in freak accidents.

The manner of deaths has military experts worried.

Retired military officer and army chaplain Richard Moleofe, who trained on suicide prevention in the United States, said this is not the first time the BDF has faced such challenges.

"This is not happening for the first time," Moleofe said. "It is a recurrence of what happened in the late 1980s. There were so many homicides and suicides and the military at the time recruited chaplains, and I was privileged to be the first chaplain on board."

Moleofe said the Botswana Defense Force should recruit more chaplains and psychologists to prepare soldiers emotionally in Cabo Delgado.

"I urge the military to re-focus on this area of training and specifically being able to deal with suicides," Moleofe said. "It is one of the most frustrating things for the generals to be faced with this situation, where they have no control over the minds of their troops."

Jasmine Opperman, a Johannesburg-based security expert specializing in extremism, said Cabo Delgado is difficult terrain for foreign troops.

"To add to these complexities, also sit with the Mozambican forces and Rwanda deployed in Cabo Delgado, which makes such coordination, intelligence sharing and the ability to act proactively, it presents a highly stressful situation environment for these soldiers," Opperman said.

Velly Mpopelang, a former BDF soldier now based in the United Kingdom as a security policy expert, said training for soldiers should aim to address such issues.

"As a nation, we are alarmed by the incidents, which are more to do with suicides than operational incidents," Mpopelang said. "Normally before soldiers can be deployed in these types of operations, they go through pre-deployment training. This pre-deployment training will address a number of issues and prepare them as well, both emotionally and psychologically."

Botswana sent 296 soldiers to Cabo Delgado in 2021. It is among eight South African Development Community countries participating in the mission to quell violent extremism in the oil-rich region.

https://www.voanews.com/a/botswana-loses-sixth-soldier-in-mozambique-mission-/6912487.html

Multiple new guided munitions orders for Edge

The UAE’s Edge conglomerate has racked up multiple orders for precision guided munitions from its subsidiaries AL TARIQ and Halcon, which will supply Al Tariq, Desert Sting and Thunder weapons to the United Arab Emirates armed forces. These weapons were all developed with South African expertise.

Multiple contracts were announced during the recent IDEX defence show in Abu Dhabi. One of the smallest was worth AED1 billion ($272 million), for Al Tariq-LR (Long Range) precision guided munitions (PGMs), which will also include recent Block II upgrade features.

The Al Tariq started life as the Denel Dynamics Umbani (Lightning) guided bomb system, first test dropped off a South African Air Force Hawk in 2011. It became the first product of a joint venture between Denel Dynamics and Tawazun (now AL TARIQ under the Edge group). Al Tariqs have been supplied to the UAE Air Force, where it equips its Mirage 2000s and Hawks, and Egypt, for its Mirage 2000 and F-16 Fighting Falcons. Earlier this year AL TARIQ and India’s Bharat Dynamics Limited signed a memorandum of understanding for Al Tariq production in India.

Al Tariq is a modular family of precision guided munitions designed for the Mk 81, Mk 82, and Mk 83 (250 lb, 500 lb, 1 000 lb) aerial bombs, offering long stand-off ranges exceeding 120 km and multiple seeker options. The standard Al Tariq kit gives a range of up to 40 km while the Al Tariq-LR version has fold-out wings for a range of 120 km.

Saeed Al Mansoori, Senior Vice President of ADVANCED CONCEPTS, a new business unit within EDGE, said: “We are delighted to be supplying the UAE Armed Forces with Al Tariq-LR PGMs, which are amongst the best in the world in terms of range, accuracy and modularity. Our commitment is focused on providing a long-range PGM solution that enhances pilot safety while allowing high levels of operational flexibility. As an EDGE entity, we will continue to innovate and achieve our milestones in order to meet the requirements of the UAE Armed Forces and to safeguard national interests.”

An even larger contract (AED4.7 billion or $1.2 billion) was awarded to Edge subsidiary Halcon for the supply of Desert Sting 25 lightweight guided glide munitions to the UAE Armed Forces. The Desert Sting 25 is designed to be deployed on multiple racks on aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The Desert Sting series evolved from the Denel Dynamics P2 low-cost medium range precision guided munition. This was developed at the request of Tawazun Dynamics for use aboard the UAE’s Seeker 200 and Seeker 400 UAVs. Halcon now manufactures the Desert Sting unpowered munitions series featuring an inertial navigation system and GNSS for navigation with an optional semi-active laser seeker. In November 2019 Halcon was awarded a $1 billion contract to supply Desert Sting 16 weapons to the UAE armed forces. A subsequent $880 million order was placed in 2021 with Edge for the supply of Thunder and Desert Sting weapons to the UAE armed forces.

A third contract announced in February, with Halcon, is worth AED2.14 billion ($570 million) and is to supply Thunder PGMs to the UAE Armed Forces. The weapons that will be supplied are Thunder P3 lightweight models, fitted with a semi-active laser (SAL) seeker.

The South African connection is also evident with the Sejeel/P3 guided bomb kit, developed by Tawazun/Barij and Denel Dynamics under a 2015 contract with the UAE. The bomb kit adds GNSS/INS and/or semi-active laser guidance to Mk 81 and Mk 82 bombs while the P4 (Thunder) kit is for Mk 84 series bombs. The Sejeel and P4 are now manufactured by Halcon as the Thunder P31 (Mk 81), Thunder P32 (Mk 82) and Thunder P4 (Mk 84). The UAE Air Force has to date ordered over 4 000 of these weapons.

Other contracts announced during IDEX 2023 covered Halcon Shadow 25, shadow 50, and Hunter loitering munitions for the UAE’s military. Combined, these contracts are worth AED2.4 billion ($653 million).

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/multiple-new-guided-munitions-orders-for-edge/

SA defence exports up in 2022

2022 was a better year for the South African defence industry compared to 2021, with R1 billion more in products being exported to countries around the world.

Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) late last month was briefed by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) on its quarterly reports for 2022 by Advocate Ezra Jele, NCACC Secretariat Head.

He provided a breakdown of import and export permits for the four quarters of last year, which showed that for the 2022 calendar year, South Africa exported R4.679 billion worth of military hardware and munitions, up from R3.353 billion the year before.

Much of this increase came in the last quarter of 2022, when the NCACC approved 161 export permits to the value of R2.458 billion. This compares with 152 permits valued at R818 million for the third quarter; 146 permits valued at R570 million for the second quarter; and 127 export permits valued at R833 million for the first quarter of the year.

While Jele did not give a breakdown of what the export permits covered, it is likely that ammunition made up a large component, along with armoured vehicles. Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) in particular secured multiple large (millions and tens of millions of euros) contracts last year for 155 mm artillery ammunition and 40 mm grenade launcher ammunition. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, last year South Africa exported approximately 200 armoured vehicles.

With regard to import permits, in 2022 the NCACC authorised 263 permits valued at R281 million – this compares with 250 permits worth R205 million authorised in 2021.

Although defence exports are up, they could be even higher. Last year the NCACC revealed that exports worth R2.85 billion were on hold to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Poland. Jele in November gave no clear explanation why exports were on hold in spite of the fact there are no sanctions against Turkey, Poland etc. but did hint at the risk of diversion of destructive weapons, presumably to Ukraine.

In his March presentation, Jele did not reveal any further information about the export permits on hold to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Poland.

The South African defence industry has long expressed frustration at the slow pace of export permit processing. One of the complaints is that the permit process is paper-based and thus slow and cumbersome. However, a digital system is being put in place but it has not gone live yet. Jele said that loadshedding has been affecting the time to process applications because the old system was taking longer to reboot and system availability was low. The NCACC is getting closer to migrating to the new digital system and is in the user-acceptance testing phase.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/editors-pick/sa-defence-exports-up-in-2022/

Kenyan airlift moves South Sudanese into DR Congo for regional force deployment

An example of regional co-operation in the quest for peace saw Kenya Defence Forces, in the form of its air force, supply airlift and logistic support to a South Sudan contingent of troops bound for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

An advance party of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) troops and logistics, under the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), were flown to Goma on board two Kenya Air Force Spartan CJ27 military transport aircraft.

In Juba, where the airlift tasking originated, South Sudan President Salva Kiir, in a statement read by Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs General Chol Thon, expressed confidence in SSPDF troops under EACRF, carrying out their mission professionally, as they are well trained and oriented.

Day after the South Sudan contingent touched down in Goma EACRF Deputy Force Commander Brigadier General Emmanuel Kaputa in the company of Kenyan Contingent Commander Colonel Daniel Rotich and Force Headquarters Staff Officers received additional troops at the same airport.

The Deputy Force Commander implored them to work closely with colleagues in the joint operations area toward realising peace and stability. “We have a mandate and mission as EACRF and must work toward its accomplishment,” said Kaputa said.

The SSPDF deployment marks the final deployment phase for EACRF troops into Eastern DRC as directed by an EAC Heads of extraordinary summit in February.

The SSPDF will deploy to Rumangabo forward operating base (FOB) where they will be co-located with the Kenyan contingent.

The full deployment of EACRF will enhance sequenced and orderly withdrawal of M23 to designated cantonment areas a Kenya Defence Forces statement said with protection of civilians and opening up main supply routes as priority taskings. Supporting the disarmament, demobilisation, community recovery and stabilisation programme (P-DDRCS) of all armed groups in Eastern DRC is also on the to-do list for EACRF.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/kenyan-airlift-moves-south-sudanese-into-dr-congo-for-regional-force-deployment/

Algerian Navy takes delivery of Chinese-built corvette

Three years after placing an order with China’s Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, the Algerian Navy has taken delivery of a single Type 056 corvette.

The El Moutassadi (940) departed Shanghai on 28 February on its journey home, stopping in Malaysia on 3 March and Mumbai, India, between 13 and 16 March. It arrived in the port of Algiers on 2 April.

The vessel’s acquisition was revealed in mid-2020 after United Kingdom-based maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register said it had been selected to provide assurance and certification services to Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group for two significant naval projects with the Algerian and Thai navies. Hudong Zhonghua is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

The Algerian navy’s new corvette is designed for patrol, escort and maritime protection missions within the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The corvette incorporates a helipad and a crew of 78 people, has a range of 3 500 nautical miles and is capable of top speeds in excess of 27 knots.

Unconfirmed reports suggest Algeria is acquiring six Type 056 corvettes from China, with some domestic production.

Algeria has in the past acquired corvettes from China, ordering three 2 800 tonne vessels in 2012; these were built between 2013 and 2016. The 120 metre long C28A corvettes are armed with a 76 mm main gun, FM-90N launcher for HQ-7 surface-to-air missiles and YJ-82/C-802 anti-ship missiles.

The El Moutassadi is similar to the Pattani or Type 056 classes. The Pattani class is 95.5 metres long and is currently in service with the Royal Thai Navy. The type displaces nearly 1 500 tonnes and is armed with a 76 mm main gun, two GI-2 20 mm cannons and two 12.7 mm machineguns.

The Type 056 is in service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and has been exported to Nigeria as the 95 metre long 1 800 ton P18N patrol vessel and Bangladesh as the 90 metre long 1 300 ton C13B corvette.

Algeria has received a significant amount of military hardware from China in recent years, from ships to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This includes Norinco SM4 120 mm self-propelled mortars, W86 120 mm mortars, PLZ45 self-propelled howitzers, SR5 multiple rocket launchers, WA-021/Type-88 155 mm towed guns and CH-3 and CH-4 UAVs built by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/algerian-navy-takes-delivery-of-chinese-built-corvette/

EACRF is slowly building up numbers in DRC
KDF, UPDF, SSPDF & BNDF

..

Baller254:
EACRF is slowly building up numbers in DRC
KDF, UPDF, SSPDF & BNDF

Lovely pictures 👌

El Moutassadi (940) new corvette , algerian navy

Mi 24 MKIII , algerian AF

Gunmen kill at least 46 people in attack on rural village in Nigeria

Forty-six bodies have been found after gunmen attacked a rural village in northern-central Nigeria, local government officials said.

The attack happened on Wednesday in the Umogidi community in Benue state, where tit-for-tat clashes are common between nomadic herders and settled farmers competing for land and resources.

“The 46 casualties were from the bodies of victims found and retrieved. Many people are still missing, so number of those killed may be higher,” Paul Hemba, a security adviser to the Benue state governor, said on Friday.

He blamed herdsmen who he said had been attacking local communities over the last month. “Soldiers have been dispatched to the area, so the situation is a bit calm now,” he added.

The motive for the attack was not clear but Benue has been one of the states hardest hit by clashes between farmers and herders who they accuse of destroying farmland with their cattle grazing.

A representative of the national herders’ association was not immediately available for comment.

Bala Ejeh, the local government chair of the town of Otukpo in Benue, said the gunmen attacked on Wednesday afternoon when people were mourning three others killed a day earlier. He said 46 bodies had been recovered so far, including his own son and two relatives.

Communal violence is just one of the security challenges facing the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, who won a presidential ballot last month that was marked by heavy delays and accusations of vote rigging.

Security forces are also battling a 14-year-long jihadist conflict in the country’s north-west and attacks by separatists in the south-east.

Intercommunal violence has spiralled into broader criminality in the north-west and centre of tNigeria, where heavily armed bandit militias ransack villages and carry out mass abductions for ransom.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/07/gunmen-kill-people-attack-village-nigeria

Lurker4Long:
Botswana Loses Sixth Soldier in Mozambique Mission

Gaborone, Botswana —

Botswana has announced the country has lost a sixth soldier sent to fight insurgents in Mozambique.

Botswana Defense Force spokesperson Magosi Moshagane said in a recent media statement that the unnamed soldier committed suicide in Cabo Delgado province, where African troops are battling Islamist insurgents.

Moshagane said investigations are under way to establish the circumstances surrounding the death.

In December, a high-ranking BDF army official killed a female subordinate and injured a colleague, before turning a gun on himself. In the same month, the army lost one member in combat, while two died due in freak accidents.

The manner of deaths has military experts worried.

Retired military officer and army chaplain Richard Moleofe, who trained on suicide prevention in the United States, said this is not the first time the BDF has faced such challenges.

"This is not happening for the first time," Moleofe said. "It is a recurrence of what happened in the late 1980s. There were so many homicides and suicides and the military at the time recruited chaplains, and I was privileged to be the first chaplain on board."

Moleofe said the Botswana Defense Force should recruit more chaplains and psychologists to prepare soldiers emotionally in Cabo Delgado.

"I urge the military to re-focus on this area of training and specifically being able to deal with suicides," Moleofe said. "It is one of the most frustrating things for the generals to be faced with this situation, where they have no control over the minds of their troops."

Jasmine Opperman, a Johannesburg-based security expert specializing in extremism, said Cabo Delgado is difficult terrain for foreign troops.

"To add to these complexities, also sit with the Mozambican forces and Rwanda deployed in Cabo Delgado, which makes such coordination, intelligence sharing and the ability to act proactively, it presents a highly stressful situation environment for these soldiers," Opperman said.

Velly Mpopelang, a former BDF soldier now based in the United Kingdom as a security policy expert, said training for soldiers should aim to address such issues.

"As a nation, we are alarmed by the incidents, which are more to do with suicides than operational incidents," Mpopelang said. "Normally before soldiers can be deployed in these types of operations, they go through pre-deployment training. This pre-deployment training will address a number of issues and prepare them as well, both emotionally and psychologically."

Botswana sent 296 soldiers to Cabo Delgado in 2021. It is among eight South African Development Community countries participating in the mission to quell violent extremism in the oil-rich region.

https://www.voanews.com/a/botswana-loses-sixth-soldier-in-mozambique-mission-/6912487.html

ZAMBIA POLICE OFFICER DEPLOYED AS PART OF THE SADC MISSION IN MOZAMBIQUE DIES AFTER THROWING HIMSELF IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
By Patricia Male
A Zambia Police Officer deployed as part of the SADC mission in Mozambique has died after throwing himself in the Indian Ocean.
Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to Mozambique Lloyd Himaambo has confirmed that inspector Harry Manda Kaputo died on Pemba Island in the cab Delgado province of Mozambique.
Mr. Himaambo says Mr. Kaputo had earlier complained of not feeling well and was taken to hospital where doctors could however not diagnose any problem.
He says the deceased later took some poisonous substance and threw himself into the Indian Ocean but was rescued by other officers and taken to hospital where he unfortunately passed on.
Mr. Himaambo says a family representative and Zambian officials are have since arrived in Pemba and are making arrangements to repatriate his body to Zambia.

Dstealth:
The Nigerian Army has taken delivery of another batch of 125 CS/VP3 MRAP’s from Chinese defence giant Poly Group.
Photo credit - jake

This is the reason the Nigerian Army is fond of the CS/VP3, it has saved the lives of soo many soldiers since it was first introduced in 2014 till now, both from IED attacks and ambushes, it is proven and tested.

Raeblack:


ZAMBIA POLICE OFFICER DEPLOYED AS PART OF THE SADC MISSION IN MOZAMBIQUE DIES AFTER THROWING HIMSELF IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
By Patricia Male
A Zambia Police Officer deployed as part of the SADC mission in Mozambique has died after throwing himself in the Indian Ocean.
Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to Mozambique Lloyd Himaambo has confirmed that inspector Harry Manda Kaputo died on Pemba Island in the cab Delgado province of Mozambique.
Mr. Himaambo says Mr. Kaputo had earlier complained of not feeling well and was taken to hospital where doctors could however not diagnose any problem.
He says the deceased later took some poisonous substance and threw himself into the Indian Ocean but was rescued by other officers and taken to hospital where he unfortunately passed on.
Mr. Himaambo says a family representative and Zambian officials are have since arrived in Pemba and are making arrangements to repatriate his body to Zambia.

RIP Inspector Kaputo. Mental health services is something SAMIM needs to enhance.

Op Shujaa making inroads against ADF in DR Congo

Operation Shujaa, a joint Congolese/Ugandan effort to drive the rebel Allied Democratic Force (ADF) from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has to date been “commendable” according to a Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) statement.

It was issued after a review of the operation attended by FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo) Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Christian Songesha, and UPDF Chief General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi. The pair, along with senior military advisors, met in Beni for the operations evaluation meeting.

The statement reports Mbadi saying the meeting reviewed Shujaa progress since its commissioning by the presidents of both countries.

“We have been in this operation since November 2021 and periodically do reviews to see progress in order to totally annihilate the ADF together with our comrades of the FARDC,” Mbadi is reported as saying. He said further progress would be evaluated to “come up with other mechanisms” to achieve the operation’s objectives.

He said further the aim of the meeting was to evaluate progress of Operation Shujaa so they can come up with other mechanisms to achieve its objectives.

North Kivu Governor Lieutenant General Constant Ndima Kongba thanked presidents Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) who approved the joint operation to “totally uproot the ADF terrorist movement – a huge threat to both countries”.

“We joined the forces of FARDC and UPDF to uproot this threat and bring peace to the people of Uganda and DRC. We as the military are determined to finish the mission assigned by the Heads of State,” Ndima said.

Results so far show FARDC and UPDF doing a commendable job achieving the objectives of the operation.

At the same time, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) reports efforts by the Kenyan contingent of the East African Community Reaction Force (EACRF) in reaching out to Congolese in Nyiragongo and Rutshuru are proving successful with “normalcy” returning in both territories.

Residents agreed to a cessation of hostilities and ethnic animosity among themselves and put in place a conflict resolution mechanism toward creating a culture of peace and harmony in the community, a KDF statement has Kenyan contingent commander, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Obiero, saying.

“EACRF will continue enhancing peace and stability efforts for socio-economic development through protection of civilians, opening up main supply routes for the free flow of people and goods and aiding humanitarian assistance to the local population in the Joint Operation Area in support of the political process geared at finding a lasting solution to the conflict in Eastern DRC,” the statement reads.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/joint/diplomacy-a-peace/op-shujaa-making-inroads-against-adf-in-dr-congo/

Morocco seeking HIMARS and JSOW weapons from the United States

The United States has approved two foreign military sales to Morocco, for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW) that are collectively worth over $750 million.

The US State Department on 11 April announced the possible sales, after notifying Congress. Morocco has requested to buy 18 M142 HIMARS launchers along with nine M1152A1 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), practice rocket pods, radios, 18 FMTV resupply vehicles, three FMTV wrecker trucks, 18 M1095 trailers and other equipment. Along with ammunition, the sale value is $524 million.

Morocco wants to arm the HIMARS launchers with 40 M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) rounds; 36 M31A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) Unitary rounds; and 36 M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead rounds. The ATACMS is essentially a short-range ballistic missile, able to reach targets out to a maximum of 300 km. The GMLRS Unitary round has a range of 70 km and carries a 100 kg warhead, providing precision strike for point targets. The GMLRS Alternative Warhead round has a range of more than 70 km and carries a 100 kg fragmenting warhead. One HIMARS vehicle can carry a six-pack of GMLRS rockets or one ATACMS missile.

If the HIMARS sale proceeds, it will make Morocco the first North African country to receive the system – only Jordan and the United Arab Emirates possess the Lockheed Martin-manufactured rocket launcher in the region. HIMARS has been delivered to Ukraine, where it has proven effective against Russian forces, but Ukraine has not received ATACMS missiles.

The HIMARS will complement WS-2D multiple rocket launchers acquired from China five years ago. The WS-2D has a range of 400 km and can carry a 200 kg warhead. Up to six rockets can be launched from a single launcher. Morocco also acquired a dozen PHL-03 (AR-2) 300 mm multiple rocket launchers from China over a decade ago.

“The proposed sale will improve Morocco’s capability to meet current and future threats and will contribute to Morocco’s ability to detect threats and control its borders, contributing to the maintenance of regional stability and security. It will also enhance the interoperability of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), which routinely exercises with forces, focusing on countering terrorism and Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs) in the Maghreb and Sahel region,” the US State Department said of the HIMARS sale.

Also on 11 April, the US approved a $250 million sale of 40 Raytheon Joint Stand Off Weapons and related equipment to Morocco. Also included are dummy air training missiles, spares and other equipment. Morocco intends to use the weapons on its F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft especially for patrolling sea lanes.

“The proposed sale of these missiles and support will increase the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s maritime partnership potential and align its capabilities with existing regional baselines,” the US Department of State said.

Morocco’s two main equipment suppliers are France and the United States, with the latter now accounting for the majority of imported military hardware. In recent years this has included F-16V Viper combat aircraft, AH-64E Apache combat helicopters, M1A1SA Abrams tanks, M113 armoured personnel carriers, TOW anti-tank missiles, M109 howitzers and various other weapons.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/morocco-seeking-himars-and-jsow-weapons-from-the-united-states/

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