₦airaland Forum

Buschlaid:
Last time I checked, Syria's possesion of chemical weapons invited numerous airstrikes on it's soil by numerous countries. Iraq's delevopment of nuclear weapons wasn't welcomed by Israel either and provoked them enough to execute Operation Opera. In case Iran decided to continue on development of nuclear weapons, I'm more than certain we would have seen sabotage by Israel. Sadam's weapons of mass destruction was also one of the main reasons why coalition attacked Iraq, whether he had any or it was made up justification for invasion is up for a different debate. As for Libya, it has fallen apart from the inside many years after Gaddafi signed the chemical weapons treaty, chemical weapons had nothing to do with it though.

In case someone decides to bring up example of North Korea, it's not the case either. Sure, their nuclear weapons and likely chemical weapons play some role, however, even if DPRK didn't have any, it just wouldn't be worth it for South Korea/USA to try anything. DPRK has so much artillery within reach of Seoul that it would be reckless bloodbath.

Also, developing chemical weapons is not as easy as you might think. It's much easier than nuclear weapons, but it's still not something you can easily hide. And just the development and not sustaining any relations with the west would catch unwanted attention of western spy agencies. I cannot comment much on the diseases because that's not field of my interest. However even China that plays by it's own rules had to make some concessions because of Covid spread. Not to mention if you were to use any bio weapons on enemy, in today's world of fast travel you are just as likely to affect your own population too.

You will soon learn some characters here aren't worth the time for argument.

GreenandGold:
sh#t, look at all that destruction, I can bet 50+ troops were killed on that crossing alone. The Russian military has no respect for soldier life. They just throw soldiers at experimental missions without any kind of thought and don't even bother to collect the dead kids back to their parents and don't do a follow up to collect their destroyed gear.... WTF!

They are still using a WW2 doctrine of forward-matching regardless of the cost of lives and equipment.

A better representation of the cost of Russian incompetence.

Fachfouch, kikuyu1, I shall be in Addis Ababa for a day, then a week each in Nairobi, Tunis, Cairo in September. Set diaries and care to meet?

...last.

Azerbaijan sniper competition using the South African Truvelo CMS .338 Lapua rifles in 2021. Algeria, Libya (under Gaddafi), Egypt, Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroun, Ethiopia, Zambia, Uganda, are the African customers.
Angola, Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire speculated but no confirmation.

Nemesis4you, any idea of the relevant details of the bolded from your side?

"South Africa is renowned for its electronic warfare technology and defence electronics and in 2021 exported more than R210 million worth of electronic warfare equipment to 18 countries. The biggest contracts came from Sweden (R42 million), Mozambique (R11 million), India (R26 million), Greece (R22 million), and Brazil (R65 million)."

"‘Electronic equipment’ also did well, with just over R1 billion exported to several dozen countries. This included communications, electronic and measuring equipment as well as countermeasures, observation systems and target acquisition systems. Big customers included Bangladesh (R95 million for communications equipment), India (R105 million for communications equipment), Mali (R40 million – communications), Myanmar (R47 million – communications), Belgium (R51 million for target acquisition/observation systems), Germany (R57 million for target acquisition/observation systems), and Turkey (R592 million for observation equipment)."

NTSA:
Great, I also find it interesting that these reports show Nigeria votes with the west more times than Kenya ...e.g from 2016 to 2020 Nigeria voted 94 times with the west while Kenya voted 78 times with the West / US.
https://www.state.gov/voting-practices-in-the-united-nations/

There you go bringing facts again!

SA exported R3.3 billion worth of military hardware in 2021
Written by Guy Martin -13th May 2022

The South African defence industry exported R3.3 billion worth of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to 67 countries around the world last year, according to the latest figures from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).

Briefing Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) on Thursday, NCACC chair Mondli Gungubele revealed that in 2021, 574 export permits to 67 countries were authorised, worth R3.35 billion.

According to the latest NCACC annual report, one of the largest single exports in 2021 was for ‘warships’ – four unspecified vessels worth R208 million went to Djibouti. The East African nation also acquired R100 million worth of unspecified ‘weapons’.

Another notable export was worth R79 million, for nine aircraft that went to the United States – these are almost certainly ex-SAAF Cheetahs sold by Denel. On the aviation side, three unmanned aerial vehicles worth R600 000 went to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while three helicopters (most likely second hand Gazelles and Mi-17s) went to Mozambique (R6 million).

Ammunition, bombs and rockets accounted for a significant portion of South African defence exports in 2021, with hundreds of millions of rands worth being exported. Bombs and rockets worth a combined R183 million were delivered to Germany, Kuwait, the Philippines, the UAE, and Zambia.

Ammunition worth nearly R740 million was exported to Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Philippines, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE. The biggest customers were Qatar (R249 million) and Germany (R261 million). This was most likely for artillery and other ammunition from Rheinmetall Denel Munition.

Armoured vehicle sales were somewhat sluggish in 2021, with Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Thailand, Togo, the UAE and Somalia acquiring just 69 armoured combat vehicles (nearly 140 vehicles were exported in 2020). Mozambique likely received nine Marauder vehicles, worth R59 million. Mali most likely received Puma M26s.

The NCACC lists ‘large calibre artillery’ worth over R20 million being exported to Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, and Switzerland. Numerous ‘light weapons’ worth R245 million were delivered to over a dozen countries, with the largest customers being Angola (224 weapons – R3.6 million), France, (215 weapons – R48 million), the Philippines (178 weapons – R17 million), Thailand (130 weapons – R10 million), and the UAE (47 weapons – R20 million).

South Africa is renowned for its electronic warfare technology and defence electronics and in 2021 exported more than R210 million worth of electronic warfare equipment to 18 countries. The biggest contracts came from Sweden (R42 million), Mozambique (R11 million), India (R26 million), Greece (R22 million), and Brazil (R65 million).

‘Electronic equipment’ also did well, with just over R1 billion exported to several dozen countries. This included communications, electronic and measuring equipment as well as countermeasures, observation systems and target acquisition systems. Big customers included Bangladesh (R95 million for communications equipment), India (R105 million for communications equipment), Mali (R40 million – communications), Myanmar (R47 million – communications), Belgium (R51 million for target acquisition/observation systems), Germany (R57 million for target acquisition/observation systems), and Turkey (R592 million for observation equipment).

Last year, 93 export permits for dual use goods and technologies worth R214 million were authorised to 25 countries. Dual use items exported in 2021 included armour to Cameroon, Somalia and the UAE (R30 million total); electronics to Korea and Pakistan (R21 million); communication equipment (over R80 million to over a dozen countries); several millions of rands worth of information security systems; radars to Indonesia (R3.6 million); and unmanned aerial vehicles.

A total of 86 UAVs were exported to eight countries (more than R70 million total). The largest customer was Indonesia, which acquired 40 UAVs for R24 million.

In 2021, a total of 279 import permits were authorised from 32 countries, with a value of R121 million. These covered 84 small arms and light weapons worth nearly R40 million. Bombs or rockets (288 of them) were acquired from Italy for R18 million while other imports included electronic warfare, communications and observation equipment from France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the UK and several other countries – defence electronics accounted for around R60 million worth of imports.

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/sa-exported-r3-3-billion-worth-of-military-hardware-in-2021/

GreenandGold:
sh#t, look at all that destruction, I can bet 50+ troops were killed on that crossing alone. The Russian military has no respect for soldier life. They just throw soldiers at experimental missions without any kind of thought and don't even bother to collect the dead kids back to their parents and don't do a follow up to collect their destroyed gear.... WTF!

They are still using a WW2 doctrine of forward-matching regardless of the cost of lives and equipment.

It's Operation Moduler and the Battle of the Lomba River all over again!

GreenandGold:
If you have these, you must have enough of them to swiftly cross a battalion in a short time, then, also have enough logistics support vehicles to get these in place. If not, then the enemy will have a good time tearing you apart with artillery while you trying to look cute in a few of these..... or with all that money, you can simply invest in bridges.

NB: Some army once tried this on the African soil (crossing a river with amphibious vehicles) to create a flank on South African Army positions, they died.

Right on cue! Easy pickings for Ukrainian artillery. Seems the Rus haven't updated their doctrine since Angola! Back then of course, they weren't doing the dying; Soviet advisers got hapless Angolan conscripts to do this nonsense and die.

Thank you to everyone who responded. Much appreciated.

Because my company's clients do a great deal of business in Nigeria, Ghana and the greater ECOWAS region, I consume a lot of Nigerian and west African media content.
I have not come across any official explanation of why specifically the Nigerian government voted with the West twice at the UN on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and then abstained on the 3rd instance. I have my own hypothesis, which rightly, can change depending on more information coming to light. I shall therefore, refrain from putting my perspective forward, lest it contaminate this query.

So, from the Nigerians here, why do you think your government adopted the stance it did? Why, with all the knowledgeable facts did they vote the way they did on those 3 occasions? Why can't I find any public explanation of their shifting stance? Last, in the absence of opinion survey data, what is your sense of public opinion on the issue?

Odunayaw, kabe1, davefurn1, lionel4power, toju200, shadowprimezero, supersixseven, mekussa, xbee007, sczeska, naijasauce69, iblawi and anyone else I might have neglected.

The Financial Times on why the great democracies of the Global South, both G20 members, India and South Africa, have consistently abstained at the UN and maintained a neutral stance.
Ukraine and the global south - https://on.ft.com/3FeBm89 via @FT

davefurn1:
Alright, who do i message?

Go back to the "Foreign Affairs" section.

kabe1:
I have corrected my initial error, as the source I saw the dispute from now confirms it's was a Russian helicopter that was struck by a TB-2.

davefurn1:
Lol, just got banned now; immediately I dropped my opinions on the situation. Well, it's what it's

LOL. Not censorship. Just the crazy spambot.
I always encounter same; a message to the powers-that-be and your post is allowed.

Buschlaid:
DRC 2S1 Gvozdikas - I wonder why I haven't seen any in action against rebels. Anyway, just like with most of the stuff DRC has, bought from Ukraine.

DRC governments have always been pre-occupied with personal survival, not national protection.
BTW, some arguments here aren't worth engaging.

kabe1:
So this was the reason why we didn't get more high quality pictures from South Africa.

However we still got proper photos of NNS Unity and NNS Centenary when they visited RSA a couple years back, but none from inside both ships though.

The only reasons I can think of are taking photos of sensitive parts of the ship might be prohibited, as such the Navy is trying to control that at source.

The Navy is trying to pass off a message that only Nigerian crew are onboard, and publishing photos of Damen staff that accompany the ship might water down this choreographed image.

My own theory: the High Commissioner, as a civilian, has a misguided sense of security and what constitutes "military secrets".

I say this because the person most qualified to determine what's sensitive, the representative of the Nigerian military, the Defence Attache, had granted access.
Advanced carriers, destroyers, subs, cruisers, etc have conducted media and public tours here with sensitive sections insulated with no incident. Just about every year on minor and major exercises with the SAN.

And rightly, NNS Unity and Centenary passed through here with none of the restrictions. BTW, might be wrong, but internal tours and pics were conducted on both.

That's why I say this was some civilian getting carried away.
Which is to be expected: in 2015/16 the SAAF flew 9 Gripen down to AFB Overberg for a joint exercise with 9 German Air Force aircraft who were here to use our test facilities for a whole range of their new weapons, as they do ever 2 years.
Civilians at the Ministry of Defence overruled the entire 2 weeks of exercises because of "security concerns".

kabe1:
Nigerian Navy LST departing Capetown today.

Any idea why only Nigerian military media were allowed to film and take photos on board?
All other media, Nigerian or otherwise, could only use photos and footage supplied by the NN. Contrary to past practice when access has always been granted by your High Commission whenever NN vessels dock here.

Spoke to 3 media mates - SA, UK and Singapore- who say the Nigerian Defence Attache promised access, but later were told no by the High Commission.

Turkey can manufacture 24 TB-2s per month, so it's safe to assume the Ukes won't be running out anytime soon.

Now, if the Moskva Rus could target the ground control stations, that'd be something cos those take longer (3 months IIRC) to produce.

GreenandGold:
If you have these, you must have enough of them to swiftly cross a battalion in a short time, then, also have enough logistics support vehicles to get these in place. If not, then the enemy will have a good time tearing you apart with artillery while you trying to look cute in a few of these..... or with all that money, you can simply invest in bridges.

NB: Some army once tried this on the African soil (crossing a river with amphibious vehicles) to create a flank on South African Army positions, they died.

And of course, follow someone else's doctrine without tweaking and adapting it for your own circumstances, and people die when faced with an adversary with relevant doctrine.
Or as some wag explained re Ukraine: "in 2014 a small army utilising Soviet doctrine was mauled by a bigger army using Soviet doctrine. Over 8 years, Ukraine got re-trained using NATO doctrine; but they've adapted both doctrines for their specific needs, and in 2022, they're holding their own."

GeneralFarouq:
If there are no facts to be seen, then what are you still doing here ....

It's a pictures and video thread, mostly. But arseholes who've never contributed wouldn't know that.

DaddyGoo:
My point is if the aircraft (used or owned) is Nigerian owned defence equipment, it must be 5N- or NAF registered.

Your response is like saying Nigerian Eagle One (737 BBJ) or Two (Gulfstream 550) should have retained their American registration marks after purchase and modification.

I ask again, why is an apparently Nigerian military aircraft registered in Israel?

That registration was temporary, as the aircraft were acquired 2nd hand from Israel.
Therefore, that photo was taken before registration was transferred to Nigeria.

In December 2018 Israel’s BIRD Aerosystems said it had been contracted to supply Cessna Citations configured for the maritime surveillance role to a new, undisclosed African customer, which is believed to be Nigeria. The aircraft are fitted with BIRD’s Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence and Observation (ASIO) maritime solution as well as its Mission Management system (MSIS).

The first Citation to be delivered wore temporary registration 4X-CML (cn 525B-0203) and was revealed with Nigerian Air Force registration NAF957 (the Nigerian Air Force will operate the aircraft on NIMASA’s behalf from the 107th Air Maritime Group at Benin). The aircraft was previously registered as N328RC with the Bank of Utah. The second aircraft (525B-0349, 4X-CMJ) is ex D-CJET from Air Hamburg Private Jets.
https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/nimasa-receives-cessna-maritime-surveillance-aircraft/

kikuyu1:
Wow! The EVs I've tried REALLY haven't impressed me,to put it mildly. Good to see the tech is maturing. IIRC, one of the departed Saffas stated heat emissions would be the killer of Armoured CVEDs.

I'm seeing more and more high performance EV or hybrid vehicles on our roads. Your BMW, Audi, Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar etc. We've come a long way since the Toyota Prius, and Musk has shaken the majors out of their stupor.
A friend who manufactures solar panels says there's an uptick in requests for installations of chargers, both for home use and from fuel service stations.

kabe1:
COCKTAIL WITH NHQ DELEGATION COMPLEMENT OF NNS KADA AND SENIOR OFFICERS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY ONBOARD NNS KADA AT CAPETOWN PORT SOUTH AFRICA THURSDAY 6 MAY 2022

Someone tell the photographer that the point is to have Table Mountain in the background!

Pic 2: US Navy photo on the deck of USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), Feb 2021

Pic 3: US Navy photo on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64), March 2020

...last.

Meanwhile, in Mozambique...

Nemesis4you:
Funny background

Ind.. UN forces have recieved multiple warnings from UN over the equipments they field, i am guessing last warning was last

Hence the fast induction of TATA IPMV & Paramount M4 for UN duties

BTW, why the chartered Il-76?
Chartering is for us lesser mortals, with zero heavy/strategic airlift.

lionel4power:
Lol

Please List the escort fleet and their capabilities. Especially how they're going to pass through 3 submarines and 4 frigates.

Lionel, you clearly have not read the thread's updated strap-line. To save you the trouble of looking it up:

"Abandon all facts, ye who enter here!"

BTW, I subscribed to your site, but notifications of new content don't always come through.

They didn't waste time from induction to putting it in the field: Indian Peacekeepers loading the newly-inducted Kalyani M4 (Paramount Group Mbombe 4) Mine-protected vehicle for deployment to Abyei, the disputed border area between Sudan and South Sudan.