₦airaland Forum

Nigerian Navy lays keel of new tank landing ship

Written by defenceWeb -10th Dec 2019

The Nigerian Navy will be getting a new tank landing ship from Damen Shipyards in May 2020, with the keel laid on Monday during a ceremony at Damen’s shipyard in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, laid the keel of the Landing Ship Tank (LST 100) at Damen Shipyards Sharjah in the UAE.

The new vessel will replace the landing ships NNS Ambe and NNS Ofiom, which were decommissioned ten years ago. They were Type 502 amphibious vessels built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Germany in 1978.

“Today’s ceremony is a significant step towards actualizing the dream of restoring the Nigerian Navy’s sea lift capability after the Service decommissioned two similar LSTs more than 10 years ago,” Ibas said.

“These vessels served the Navy meritoriously in the 1980s-90s, playing significant roles during the ECOMOG intervention Operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as other peace support operations in Lebanon.

“The Nigerian Navy’s acquisition of this LST 100 will certainly go a long way in filling the operational gap created by the decommissioning of the two Nigerian Navy ships. As you may be aware, the bid for this project was highly competitive, as several other shipbuilding companies tendered for her construction. Permit me, therefore, to congratulate Damen Shipyards on winning the bid for this project.”

Ibas pointed out that Damen Shipyards had already built two tugboats for the Nigerian Navy, the Dolphin Rima and Dolphin Mira, and these are still in service.

“The LST, when completed and delivered, is expected to play crucial roles in the security of Nigeria’s maritime environment and beyond,” Ibas said. “Specifically, the ship will be engaged in the protection of maritime resources and the preservation of law and order at sea, thus contributing significantly to promotion of global maritime commerce and maritime power projection in Nigerian Maritime environment and the Gulf of Guinea at large.

“It is, therefore, my fervent belief that this Shipyard will complete the construction of the LST with all the attention and due diligence that it deserves, to rekindle our historic relationship and pave way for other areas of collaboration in the future.

“On this note, I would like to thank the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, for his untiring support for the rejuvenation of the NN fleet since assumption of office.”

In May this year, Ibas said the Nigerian Navy was negotiating with foreign shipyards for the acquisition of a 100 metre Landing Ship Tank. At the time, he said the Navy was looking at acquiring four 17 metre fast interceptor boats by November 2019 and was expecting the delivery of a hydrographic survey vessel in December 2019 (the 60 metre vessel will be delivered from France in 2020).

Efforts are ongoing to acquire more helicopters for the Nigerian Navy air arm. Between 2015 and 2019, Ibas said the Nigerian Navy had acquired two offshore patrol vessels, the NNS Centenary and NNS Unity from China, a second locally built Seaward Defence Boat (NNS Karaduwa), six OCEA patrol boats (NNS Nguru, Shiroro, Ekulu, Ose, Gongola and Calabar) and more than 200 riverine patrol boats.

According to Damen, the landing ship vessel has been designed for amphibious operations, transport and logistics but secondary tasks include maritime security operations, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, search and rescue (SAR), operations command, mine counter measure (MCM) and hydrographic survey operations and support.

The 1 300 ton LST 100 is 100 metres long, has a maximum speed of 16 knots and range at 15 knots of 4 000 nautical miles, with an endurance 15 days. A bow ramp allows for the direct transfer to and from beaches and is rated to 70 tonnes. The internal ramp is rated at 30 tonnes and the stern ramp 70 tonnes.

The vessel can carry two embarked LCVPs (landing craft, vehicle, personnel), a helicopter/UAV on the flight deck, unmanned undersea vehicles and miscellaneous cargo with a 25 ton deck crane. Crew is 18, but 27 additional personnel can be accommodated or 235 troops.

dlox147:
I hope the contract comes with a bilateral building arrangement so we can gradually develope our local weapons building technology.

I remember we built two destroyers during the GEJ era, one would have thought the present administration would have followed through to see that we localised much of our military hardware Production.

Navy to get new landing ship tank, 40 years after

December 10, 2019
By Precious Igbonwelundu

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, on Monday laid the keel for the construction of a warship, Landing Ship Tank (LST) 100 to boost Nigerian Navy’s (NN’s) sealift capability.

The keel-laying ceremony, which took place at the DAMEN Shipyard Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), came 41 years after the Federal Government purchased two German 502 Amphibious vessels – NNS AMBE and NNS OFIOM, which were decommissioned over 10 years ago.

The Nation reports that LST 100 would in no small way aid naval operations at sea because aside its unique combat strength, the warship has the ability to lift battalion of soldiers and heavy equipment at once.

Laying the keel, Ibas said it was a significant step towards actualising the dream of restoring NN’s sealift capability since the decommissioning of NNS AMBE and NNS OFIOM.

“These vessels served the Navy meritoriously in the 1980s-‘90s, playing significant roles during the ECOMOG intervention operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as other peace support operations in Lebanon.”

“The NN’s acquisition of this LST 100 will certainly go a long way in filling the operational gap created by the decommissioning of the two NN ships.

“The LST, when completed and delivered, is expected to play crucial roles in the security of Nigeria’s maritime environment and beyond. Specifically, the ship will be engaged in the protection of maritime resources and the preservation of law and order at sea, thus contributing significantly to promotion of global maritime commerce and maritime power projection in Nigerian Maritime environment and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) at large.

“It is, therefore, my fervent belief that this shipyard will complete the construction of the LST with all the attention and due diligence it deserves, to rekindle our historic relationship and pave way for other areas of collaboration in the future,” he said.

Congratulating DAMEN Shipyard for winning the bid for the construction of the ship, Ibas noted that two NN Tugboats – DOLPHIN RIMA and DOLPHIN MIRA – built by the firm were still operational and in service on the Navy’s fleet.

“The selection of DAMEN Shipyards to execute the project was based on its track record of high quality ship building capacity, engineering as well as a belief in the company’s ability to adhere to the timeline for delivery of the ship.

“Cognisant of your pedigree and experience over the years, the NN is confident that you will not only build this ship in line with the specifications and configuration to the highest standards but also deliver the project on schedule. Timely delivery is not negotiable.

“On this note, I would like to thank The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, for his untiring support for the rejuvenation of the NN fleet since assumption of office.

“The NN and indeed the government and good people of Nigeria look forward to a masterpiece that will reflect the best skill as well as the highest standard of engineering, safety and observance of timeliness in the construction of the LST,” Ibas said.

ideatoprince18:
What does Nigeria need warship for?

Do we have any external threat?

Why was it launched in UAE

Is the keel laying ceremony not good to perform in Nigeria ports or waters?


All this questions keep befuddling my mind

BreconHills:
NNS Aradu was an amazing build. Anti ship, anti sub with its 2 onboard helicopters/sonar dip devices and a threat to air and land forces with its missiles. A revolutionary ship.

Very good piece. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Informative and well written.

NGpatriot:
In my lifetime, Nigeria is having a warship built from scratch, brand new instead of the usual old and almost lifeless Tokunbo.

It's a great time to be a proud Nigerian.

Iscoalarcon:
you mean brand new?

ideatoprince18:
What does Nigeria need warship for?

Do we have any external threat?

Why was it launched in UAE

Is the keel laying ceremony not good to perform in Nigeria ports or waters?


All this questions keep befuddling my mind

NNS Ambe Hippo-class Type 502 class LST

The Type 502 class LSTs Ambe and Ofion were designed by HDW as a private-venture for sale to the West German navy, which was not interested. The warship displaces 1,750 tons fully loaded and has a length of 87m and a beam of 14m. The ship is powered by two diesel engines each driving twin shafts and can maintain a speed of 17 knots. She would normally carry a crew of 59. Armament is light, consisting of several anti aircraft guns and two 20mm machine guns. They are of ro-ro design, with a lowerable stern loading ramp and articulated bow ramp. The machinery is unusual in that each engine drives multiple shafts instead of the normal other way around.

Typical load configuration options

5 T-54/55 tanks + x4 trucks or artillery pieces + x35 fully-equipped marines

10 BTR-60 APCs + x66 fully-equipped marines

540 fully-equipped marines

Both ships suffered minor fires during the 1980s which were repaired, but maintenance on the bow ramp machinery was poor and by 1992 both vessels had non-operational ramps. Several sources state that both ships had ramps welded shut, rendering them transports instead of LSTs.

Ofiom was severely damaged during a failed beaching in 1992 and was abandoned pierside. In 1999, a contract was signed with foreign technicians to repair the ship however in April 2001 they departed due to non-payment, with only half the repairs completed. NNS Ofion had not been operational for over two decades while some of her parts had been used over time to replace some faulty parts of Ambe. In 2011 it was announced that the Nigerian navy again planned to finish the repairs.

NNS Ofiom emerged winners of the First Nigerian Navy Ship 2009 WEY C.O's Cup after defeating the NNS AMBE 4-2. The event which began on September 18th 2009 saw the two contending sides NNS Ofiom and NNS AMBE qualifying for the grand finale. Both sides dismissed their opponents with ease on their way to the final and Navy Town residents looked forward to a great final. The competition came to an end at the Road 3 Football field Navy Town, Lagos, after weeks of exciting football action.

NNS Ambe, one of the two amphibious vessels acquired by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1978 was said to have been the country's only operational Amphibious war ship used for lifting a battalion and their equipment as the second, NNS Ofion, was almost a carcass as major parts have been used to keep the burnt Ambe in shape. The ship had a capacity of lifting a battalion of 600 soldiers and their equipment at once. NNS Ambe, which became fully operational in the 1980s, played a significant roles during the ECOMOG operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Over 72000 refugees were sea-lifted from Liberia to Nigeria by NNS AMBE and some merchant ships. Transport ships loaded with troops and equipment of the five-nation Economic Community of West African States Military Observation Group (ECOMOG) entered the port of Monrovia. During the afternoon of 24 August 1990, Nigeria’s NNS Ambe (LST 1123) and Ghana’s MV Tano River maneuvered to the mouth of the jetty area of Freeport. They temporarily withdrew after receiving some sporadic mortar fire and reentered the port later that evening. After docking, a small mix of troops debarked.

In Liberia during the ECOMOG operations, the NA could not integrate fully with NN. The problems encountered by the 2 Services was the delayed movement into Liberia from Sierra Leone as a result of malfunction of the loading ramp on the LST. Even when the ramp was repaired through combined efforts of the NN and NA Engineers, the problem re-occurred on landing at Freeport Monrovia. Also the armaments carried by the LST were not functional. This had impacted negatively on the confidence and high morale of the NA troops. The reason for these problems were attributed to lack of training for joint operations by the NA and NN before induction into the operation in Liberia.

On 02 December 1997 Sierra Leone's military junta accused Nigeria on Tuesday of moving an amphibious tank landing ship and two support vessels into Sierra Leone's territorial waters. A military spokesman said the NNS Ambe and two support ships had anchored 30 nautical miles off the Sierra Leonean coast before pulling back into international waters. "The three Nigerian warships which anchored about 30 nautical miles in Sierra Leone territorial waters have sailed back into international waters from their former position," the spokesman said.

She was also used in ferreting of drug from Europe to Nigeria at a time when there was said to be scarcity of drugs in Nigeria. In July 2001 naval authorities said that five warships in the Nigerian Navy inventory, including NNS Siri, NNS Ekun, NNS Nyam and the Frigate, NNS Ambe, would be seaworthy by December 2001 after undergoing retrofitting. In 2004 the Navy commenced refitting activities on NNS Ambe and NNS Ofiom. But within a few years NNS Ambe was reported out of commission in a poor condition.

Operation TAKUTE EKPE (Lion Trap) was held 10-15 May 2004. There were difficulties in establishing radio communications between NNS AMBE, the ship that was to beach land the troops and other participating forces. TAKUTE EKPE was aborted at the last minute because NNS AMBE, the main amphibious ship, failed to arrive at the designated landing site at the scheduled time ostensibly due to defects. On that occasion, NN operational efficiency suffered due to no ship availability. The NN landing ship that was to land troops in the theater of operation never got there until after the exercise had been deactivated because the state of the ship was not considered in the planning of the exercise. The NN ship was unserviceable and yet it was earmarked for the exercise. This was a typical example of an exercise marred by poor logistic planning and lack of coordination due to the absence of a joint logistics system.

Nigerian Naval Dockyard at Wilmot Point, Lagos was commissioned in 1990 to undertake refit of Nigerian Naval Ships. Although the naval dockyard has been in commission from 1990, it was only in 2003 that a comprehensive and structured program of refitting the entire fleet began in earnest. In 2007 NNS Ambe was undergoing refit. some marine engineers were carrying out some repairs that required welding when fire at about 2130 hours on 20 November 2007, in the superstructure of the ship. The fire was extinguished by the timely action of the Lagos State Fire Service, but by some accounts the vessel was reportedly destroyed by the fire. The fire was confined to an above deck section of the ship and the damage is considered to be minor. This happened at a time there was renewed tension in the Bakassi Peninsula, itself an Island, that would require the use of the NNS Ambe to lift troops.

In 2010, troop carrier landing craft NNS AMBE of the Nigerian Navy under repair at Navy dock yard, Wilmot Point, Lagos had caught fire under her starboard bridge deck. Ambe suffered a severe fire which started in her cargo deck and spread upwards under the starboard side of the bridge. The bridge and radio room were destroyed, and the crew berthing spaces severely damaged. The fire burnt out the entire bridge and part of the accommodation, leaving the main mast tilted to starboard on top of the compass deck which had also been seriously damaged.

In August 2010 a civilian company, Atlantic Marine Services, was contracted to remove the mast. AMS was called in to remove the mast as it was threatening to collapse. With the help of their tug EXPLORER they mobilized their 1000dwt barge H457 and their Leibherr HS871 crane alongside the NNS AMBE. The mast was secured, cut and lifted off on 13 August 2010 and delivered to NNS Olokun maintenance yard for further dismantling and repair. Since them Ambe was moored at the Wilmot Point naval dockyard in Lagos awaiting repairs.

naptu2:
The big issue has been maintenance (particularly during the military era) and the two examples that best illustrate this fact are NNS Aradu and NNS Ambe.

Ships can serve for a long time. The US used World War 2 era battleships up into the 1990s. The key thing is that you maintain them properly.

NNS Aradu is a Meko 360 class frigate (probably the first one ever built). This means that its parts are perfectly interchangeable, therefore it should not have to be alongshore for a long time, but it was not maintained properly and so it spent almost 12 years alongshore. It has run aground several times because of bad seamanship. Thankfully it has been better treated since 1999 than it was during the military era.

I do not think that we would have been successful in Liberia without NNS Ambe and her twin sister NNS Ofiom (they were used to transport troops, armoured cars, tanks, etc from Ecomog countries to Liberia and Sierra Leone and their ro-ro capabilities ensured that we could land the equipment despite hostile fire from shore). Yet we have treated both ships badly. NNS Ofiom is practically dead. The roro ramp of NNS Ambe has been welded shut. What use is a Landing Ship Tank without its ramp? It has suffered fires and a naval training exercise had to be abandoned in 2004 because the Ambe did not arrive shore when it was supposed to (it broke down).

NNS Obuma suffered similar fate when it was still alive and that's what made the government decide to replace it with NNS Aradu. I reckon that it could have served us for 10 to 15 more years.

These ships are not really that old, but they have not been maintained properly (credit to Admiral Adekeye for what he did with NNS Andoni, NNS Aradu and what he planned to do with NNS Obuma)

Racoon:
Let's see what is building naptu2.I appreciate your good grasp & understanding of our national histroy.

naptu2:
I can still remember NTA's very first report from Liberia (in 1990) as if it was yesterday. The cameraman was with the troops on either NNS Ambe or NNS Ofiom (I can't remember exactly which of the LSTs) and he was filming the Port of Monrovia from the ship when a battle broke out between Samuel Doe's men and Charles Taylor's men. We could hear the explosions from the port and see the black smoke in the sky.

It took some time, but Doe's men were able to retain control of the port and the Nigerian soldiers landed safely.

I can't remember the name of the NTA correspondent.

naptu2:
1) Landing Ship Tank (LST) : A landing ship tank is a kind of naval vessel that can carry tanks, trucks, SUVs, etc and land them directly on shore without requiring port facilities. LSTs usually have a roll-on-roll-off (RORO) ramp with which vehicles can roll ashore or onto the ship without needing a crane to carry them.

A Dravo built LST landing a tank on a beach during World War II.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/10707346_1297433917221944447045222577419552641706331n_jpeg712008502bf122dd0b20e66de6374c0e

Landing ship tanks were very important in the Pacific theatre of World War 2, when Commonwealth and US forces battled the Japanese from island to island. They ferried men, vehicles and other materials from captured island to the next island battlefield.

LSTs were also very important to Ecomog operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone. They carried nigerian troops and equipment to Liberia and Sierra Leone and they also carried refugees in the opposite direction.

NNS Ambe. NNS Ambe has a regular ramp at the rear of the ship (just like the World War 2 LST pictured above) and it also has an articulated ramp in front (which is why the front is higher than other parts of the ship). The ramp in front can be lowered and extended when the ship wants to offload its cargo in very shallow water. NNS Ambe played a very important role in Nigeria's Ecomog operations in Liberia.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/10707347_1301080017201325749107094723537584321502138n_jpeg720043c7b964dbc871078d573022efee

naptu2: NNS Ambe (LST1312)
www.nairaland.com/attachments/295749_NNS_Ambe_jpg9518d5695f60a0083c94f835b0588908
The landing ship tank, NNS Ambe, undergoing repairs.

I first knew what it was in 1990. On the 9 o'clock news they showed troops preparing to sail to Liberia. Its hull opened and armoured tanks, personnel carriers and fighting vehicles were rolling into it (or was it its sister ship, the Ofiom?). It's a Landing Ship Tank (LST)! The C130 of the navy.

I wish we had amphibious landing ships and amphibious assault ships.

Ishilove:
You were very young when you heard Tina Charles?

Ishilove:
So you have memories of the 70s? My parents had not even met then.

I know it must have been a huge hit because my mum, who isn't a fan of music generally loves Tina Charles. Her songs are one of the earliest in my memory, especially 'I love to love'. That one gives me goose bumps any time

babyfaceafrica:
if I say,I no go school,will I be dragged to the classroom.if you even drag me to the classroom,will you force me to read and pass

babyfaceafrica:
they are forcing people to go to school ,in this Lagos wey I dey?...na audio force o, please come to pen cinema, early morning,you will see young children hawking things,if they catch them today,they will leave them in the evening,I repeat,you can't force anybody to go to school in naija!

babyfaceafrica:
you can't force people to be educated formally ,the ones with master and PhD,where is the job please!!

Kano procures text books, furniture for public schools

December 5, 2019 in Education


By Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

The Kano State government has procured about 1million assorted text books for distribution to public schools in the state.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Education, Malam Muhammad Sanusi Sa’id Kiru, during the 2019 Annual General Meeting of the Dala Old Girls Association (DOGA) held at the Afficent Event Centre, Kano.

The commissioner said the provision of the text books would go a long way to facilitate better learning for pupils in primary and secondary schools across the state.

He further disclosed that 3,000 schools have been identified and would be provided with furniture under the supervision of the Schools Based Management Committees (SBMC’s).

Sanusi Kiru added that the government had also procured 1,400 tablets to facilitate pilot study for e-learning in some select schools across the three Senatorial zones of the state.

He noted that the government had also made arrangements for the renovation of some girls secondary schools including the ones in Gaya, Dambatta, Kwa, Kabo and Dala.

“Very soon, the state government will perform the taking-over ceremony of a secondary school building donated by Hon. Ali Sa’id at Dakatsalle in Bebeji Local Government Area, and it will be converted to girls boarding secondary school,” the commissioner noted.

While thanking the DOGA for their commitment towards seeing to the betterment of their alma mater, he said that the government would do its part in assisting the school.

In his remark earlier, international business mogul and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, admonished the Old Girls to continue with the good work of assisting their alma mater.

He presented a cheque of N10 million to the association, promising to make the same donation for a period of five years.

“Even if I die, I am leaving it as will for my family to ensure compliance,” he said.

Dantata also pledged to construct five boreholes in the school as well as ten blocks of toilets.

In her speech, the National president of DOGA, Hon. Sa’udatu Sani, called on all and sundry to collaborate in assisting the education sector, which she said, is in a sorry position.

babyfaceafrica:
even if it is free,some people will not go because they fail to see the usefulness,are you saying those people should not marry

Report parents who refuse to enrol children in school, Ganduje tells Kano Emirs

Published August 19, 2019

Ted Odogwu, Kano

Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Monday, ordered the entire five Emirs in the state to report parents who refused to register their children in school in line with the declaration of free and compulsory education.

Ganduje mandated the Emirs to keep a record of defaulting parents and forward same to his office for sanctions to be imposed, where necessary.



He disclosed that a law would be put in place to punish those who refuse to educate their children.


In a press statement, made available to newsmen on Sunday, Abba Anwa, Chief Press Secretary to Ganduje, said the governor gave the order, when the Emirs of Kano, Rano, Bichi, Karaye, and Gaya visited him at different intervals to pay homage during the Sallah holiday.

In addition, Ganduje assured the Emirs that all schools would be provided with some special resources for a hitch-free implementation of the new policy.

babyfaceafrica:
story, what about those that can't afford to go to school?

naptu2:
He explained that his government introduced free and compulsory basic and secondary education, while also taking care of all the out-of-school children to make sure they are being given the opportunity for education.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/12/09/ganduje-how-our-education-policy-protects-girl-child-from-underage-marriage/

Ganduje: How Our Education Policy Protects Girl-child from Underage Marriage

December 9, 2019 6:06 pm

By Adedayo Akinwale ín Abuja

Kano Stage Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje, has revealed that the education policy in the state has reduced the menace of child-bride in the state.

The governor disclosed this on Sunday night during the 2019 Human Rights Summit/Award with the theme, ‘Adopting Rights Based Approach in the Public Sector Sustainable Development Agenda’, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).


Ganduje who was one of the awardees also said that the almajiri system of education was now being integrated into the modern system of education.

He explained that his government introduced free and compulsory basic and secondary education, while also taking care of all the out-of-school children to make sure they are being given the opportunity for education.

According to him, “The much talked about almajiri system is now being integrated with modern system of education. The girl-child education, you know the problems of marrying underage girls, but from our policy now, all our girls have to at least finish secondary education before they are married.”

Ganduje noted that after the recent kidnapping of the nine children taken to the other part of the country where they were converted and their names changed, the state government instituted a judicial Commission of inquiry to find out circumstances under which they were kidnapped, return them to their parents and assist in their socialisation.

He added: “We provided free education for those nine children up to university level. Two more children have been recovered making 11.

“The implication of this commission of inquiry is not only to recover the children, it’s not only for the punishment of those who were found guilty, but creating awareness for parents to take care of their children so that enabling environment is not provided for kidnappers.”

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, said that the commission in collaboration with Centre for Civilian in Conflict (CIVIC) championed a policy on Protection of Civilians and Civilian Harm Mitigation in Conflict.

He stressed that the draft policy document is awaiting approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), adding that the policy was aimed at safeguarding the security and welfare of Nigerian citizens in areas affected by conflict.

Ojukwu noted that the commission was also focusing on the herders/farmers conflict in the North central zone, especially Benue State.

He added that in collaboration with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the commission had set up a human rights violations monitoring team in Benue State, working with community based organisation to document violations, timely deal with complaints, develop early warnings, resolve conflicts and promote peaceful co-existence and accountability, working with security agencies in the communities and the state in general

Ishilove:
You were very young when you heard Tina Charles?

Ishilove:
I did. You just quoted the videos without making a comment.

Ishilove:
You are not yet back since last week?

Ishilove:
Nope, you haven't.

Ishilove:
You are not yet back since last week?