₦airaland Forum

patches689:
1. True - but biggest doesn't mean best, or even most powerful

2. South Africa is more powerful in every conceivable means of power

3. Swiss are the happiest people on earth
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/switzerland-officially-the-happiest-country-on-earth--with-britain-lagging-in-21st-place-10221591.html

4. The fact that you even think that holding a successful election is a sign of maturity shows how immature you are. Anyway, South Africa has been democratic longer and has more political freedom

4a. South Africa ranks 30th in the democracy index, Nigeria ranks 121st
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

So in reality only one of the things you said was a fact

South Africa and democracy shouldn't be in the same sentence, not with the ANC holding the nation to ransom. Only second to communist China and North Korea

How convenient, you now quote Wikipedia as a valid source when it suits your argument.

FighterPilot:
Boko Haram overpowers military in Maiduguri.

http://www.newstoner.com/boko-haram-overpowers-soldiers-in-maiduguri-raid/

I bet you didn't read the report. You saw the sensational headline and rushed to post it here without reading.

According to AFP "Scores of Islamist militants in trucks and on motorcycles stormed the town of Gubio, 95 kilometres (60 miles) by road north of the state capital, Maiduguri, on Sat"

How does 90km north of Maiduguri, equate to Maiduguri?

It's a shame your wish for a defeated Nigeria can't come to pass, as the terrorists were dislodged immediately. Now you can run along, no news here.

Meet NAF 475

princemol:
for the genius!

4 = 1

amanze15:
MAKE WE BUY EVEN IF NA 10 F-22 RAPTORS I GO HAPPY ,

Raptor?

No be only Raptor, na Rapture or na Judgement day.


Funny guy.

Na wah for you o, even the UK, Canada, Germany and Australia are not allowed to buy the Raptor, na Naija go come buy?

holamiday:
Until our Air Force purchases at least 10 AH-65 Apache Helicopters, we are yet to be combat ready in the air. That helicopter is the bomb and the most sophisticated & versatile attack heli.
The sight of it alone, scares the hell out of chronic al-qaeda terrorists. Apaches don't come cheap though.

America won't sell to you.
Even if they did, they control the deployment both the weaponry and spares.

They can ground your whole fleet if you smile when they said you shouldn't, or if they just feel like.


The NAF is getting the T-129 ATAK helicopters thought, which is the closest you can get to an apache, because of its radars, HMD and setup.

patches689:
Is that what I said?

I equate combat with dead soldiers.

Niger and Cameroon are employing aggressive maneuvers and taking the fight to Boko Haram - high mobility high intensity operations designed to corner and engage boko haram formations. Suffering casualties is inevitable.

They suffer more casualty because of lack of air frames (Gazelles, Super Pumas, Hinds, Alpha Jets and so on), MRAPS, T-72 tanks unlike Nigeria. Where is the sense in sending your troops bare chested to face boko-haram, without a common ballistic helmet and kevlar vest, because the Chadian army don't have these; and the Cameroonians too, apart from the BIR guys.


The approach of the Cameroonians and Chadian has a name, its called stupidity. Why should I send my infantry men into battle without aerial cover from hinds, without MRAPS to avoid an ambush or stepping on land-mines?

Just like seat belts, Kevlar vests actually saves lives.
Its not a fashion statement to wear one.

patches689:
As apposed to the Nigerian army, slow and cumbersome operations, a lack of mobility and aggression. You allow Boko Haram to melt away as you are more obsessed with territory than with engaging rather than engaging enemy formations.

And you know the cumbersomeness of the Nigerian Army because you have a magic ball showing their speed at every given point in time.

"Slow and cumbersome operations", and you know this because you are on ground and part of the operations.

patches689:
Rooivalk:

- Bigger round from autocannon, more ammunition

- larger weapons payload

- more weapons hard points

- longer loiter time, range, performance characteristics (despite the bigger payload)

- combat tested

1. So the limitation is that it cannot engage MBT's? Yes, we all know this.

2. What limitations? Is the F2 the same as the autocannon found on the Apache?

3. Your citation does not refer to the F2 autocannon. It refers to a completely different auto-canon with different capabilities.

All autocannons have the same limitation, except you can prove yours is a genius invention of science. The mere fact that you don't even know about the overheating of autocannons and guns in general, call to question your level of knowledge about these systems.

If the F2 was so wonderful that it doesn't overheat, then the Eurocopter Tiger used by the French (the original manufacturers of the F2), would be using the F2 and not the superior GIAT 30 cannon in chin turret(used on the Rafales). The apache longbow still has this limitation, talkless of the Rooivalk. Like seriously


So you would actually advice your helicopter to loiter in combat when the enemy could fire anti-aircraft missiles.



Did you just say that Rooivalk is combat tested?
Against Seleka rebels fighting with hoes and cutlasses.

Ignorance is bliss, no wonder you equate military participation to the number of dead soldiers.

patches689:
1. The source is not talking about the F2 autocannon. So it is irrelevant
2. Guns have never been the main means of engaging MBTs - you are the clown whom thought that a 20mm autocannon can take out an MBT not me
3. Again, your argument is based on flawed logic - your source does not apply to the F2 gun.

You have yet to prove how it trumps the Rooivalk in any way

1. the F2 auto-cannon is similar to the M230 - Fact
So the limitation remains relevant

2. You based your argument on the Rooivalk's gun, not me. I only schooled you on the F2 and other autocannon's limitations.

3. Irrelevant rebuttal.

Rooivalk - Old radar system with limited range.
T-129 - 128 Target acquisition simultaneously and ability to prioritise targets.

Rooivalk - 1990s tech, no longer in production.
T-129 - 2009 tech, currently in production.

patches689:
Quoted an opinion peice

Everyone has an opinion. My 9 year old neice has an opinion - it doesnt make it valid

An opinion piece based on a narrative by one of the main actors?

How would your 9 year old niece view your integrity when you double speak at all times?

patches689:
So its the total caliber of bullets fired?

Is that what you are saying?

Whats the importance of bullets when the Rooivalk can only fire 300 rounds before taking 10 minutes to cool off?

-----

On the issue of guns, take for instance the Apache Longbow's M230 30mm lightweight automatic cannon is effective, but limited.

It fires 30mm linkless ammunition at a rate of 625 shots per minute. However, the gun duty cycle to prevent overheating is as follows: six 50-round bursts with 5 seconds between bursts followed by a 10-minute cooling period. For bursts limited settings other than 50, the duty cycle can be generalized as no more than 300 rounds fired within 60 seconds before allowing the gun to cool for ten minutes, after which the cycle may be repeated.

In short, an Apache can only fire 300 rounds before having to take a ten minute break to allow the gun to cool, and this assumes the gun never jams or malfunctions. Time on station is limited by fuel, and pilots attempting to avoid enemy anti-aircraft fire shouldn't circle aimlessly for 10 minutes after each brief gun engagement.
-------

patches689:
You are saying that all helicopters with a single-barrel gun are incompetent designs?

You do realize the worlds best attack helo has a single barrel gun?

No, I'm saying the single-barrel gun helicopters are not as effective as the Gatling toting modern helicopters

Now the modus operandi has changed, thats why I cited the ISI using Abrams, Guns on helicopters are not the primary weapons of choice anymore, and even if they are needed, the 300 rounds per minute limit on the M40 makes it less effective than a Gatling firing 3x of that in the same time.




In essence
T-129: Fires the whole rounds on board in approximately 1 minute, moves out and performs other duties.

Rooivalk: Fires the first set of 300 rounds, needs to loiter and circle aimlessly for 10 minutes before firing the remaining rounds.


The Primary purpose of guns on the helicopter is for suppression fire on snipers, and other hostiles while the helicopters acquire targets. If the mission requires more gunfights, the T-129 has the capability of mounting 4 more 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine gun pod on its sides.

In each scenerio, it trumps the Rooivalk

patches689:
How do they train if it is in reserve?

Valour class are able to perform both AP duties as well as regular multi-national exercises. Your Augusta are maritime helicopters - they can be used for AP as well.

Valour Class engine got replaced? So what? we bought them to use them, and use them we have!!

You have no excuses, just like you have no ASW helicopter.

Pathetic navy, cant even keep your maritime helicopters operational!!

Your Air force cannot maintain 26 Gripens after more than 9 years.
Your Navy cannot even connect an ordinary battery on your Subs, talk about incompetence.

patches689:
1. Irrelevant

2. Your military was caught ill prepared. That is utter negligence of the highest order. Hence why we purchase what we do. Do we need frigates right now? NO! But who knows what we will need tomorrow

3. Veitnam was a military victory for the US. US has only had limited footprint in Yemen. blah blah blah - see what executive ouctomes did with "100" men

4. US government use of PMC's is defensive only. And not for training and combat support THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE

5. Read your own sentance and see the hypocracy

You're one funny guy.

Defensive only? when i quoted an article about their use in training and Block ops.

Wow...I'm amazed at your double speak

patches689:
Those figures show only one thing:

Niger and Cameroon are involved in actual combat. You are not.

Really?

So the number of dead soldiers equates to being actually involved in combat.

Damn... and I thought I was "arguing with a military enthusiast"...how wrong was I

patches689:
1. ISL Abrams can be defeated with the Mokopa or rendered combat ineffective with the Ingwe ZT3. Helo guns are not inteded for use against MBT's, and since our F2 autocannon fires a bigger round - it will be more effective than the gun found on the T-129

2. BVR missiles have allmost nothing to do with helicopters.

Allow me to highlight point 2:

- You say that T-129 radar allows BVR engagement. Let us consider the armament of the T-129:
-- AGM-114 Hellfire, max range: 8km (NOT BVR)
-- BGM-71 TOW (NOT RADAR GUIDED), max range: 4,2km (NOT BVR)
-- Hydra 70 (NOT RADAR GUIDED), max range: 8km (NOT BVR)
-- Spike (NOT RADAR GUIDED), max range: 25km (NOT BVR)
-- Mirzak-U, max range: 8km (NOT BVR)

So congratulations, you have shown only that you have no idea what you are talking about

Talking about twisting words to suit your agenda, I said and I quote

"...in this age of BVR missiles...".

Can you now tell me where I mentioned that the T-129 carries BVR missiles.

The argument was on the comparison of the guns on the 2 helicopters, an area where the T-129's gatling gun trumps the Rooivalk.

patches689:
The point, that you fail so abysmally to see is as follows:

1. Your military - when left to its own devices - was unable to stem the semi-conventional assault by Boko Haram, who were (largely) lightly armed at the time. The only heavy weapons (read: Armor/Artillery) they have has been captured from your army.
2. Your military - despite a $1 billion bail-out was unable to re-capture said lost territory
3. Your military was then forced to purchase the services of foreign mercenaries (Nationality of mercenaries is irrelevant at this point in time)
4. These mercenaries then provided training that your military was unable to provide for itself
4a. These mercenaries then provided technical support that your military was unable to provide for itself
4a. These men provided leadership that your miilitary was unable to provide for yourself.
5. It was only with the assistance of these mercenaries and pressure from the more effective Cameroonian and Chadian militarys that you were able to acheive any gains against boko-haram at all.

The conclusion is clear, your military is unable to provide the training/skills/support/leadership that your "boots" (grunts) need to win battles in semi-conventional warfare against untrained, lightly armed opponents.

1. The issue of negligence affects even the world powers, this is caused by the limitations of us as humans. Reason why the US didn't envisage the menace of the ISI at the beginning when they pretended to be fighting against Assad in Syria.

2. Really ? I can't believe we are having this discussion when evidence shows that the weaponry purchased with the $2 Billion started coming in late January 2015. Looking at the timeline of the liberation of towns by the Nigerian Army, this coincides with the arrival of these weapons. A military budget according to you would immediately result in victory because you get the hardwares the same day. Talk of warped logic.

3. The US military is not incompetent when they had their asses whooped big time in Vietnam and presently in Yemen. There is a whole lot of difference in PMC instructors and Merceneries, and the STTEP falls in the former's category not the latter. 100 men would face an enemy in occupying a place the size of Belgium, is what fantasies are made of . It remains a fantasy because they were instructors not mercs. So you guys can stop having an e.rrection because of this.

4. American Government's use of PMC is tactical but wrong for Nigeria to use the same approach. These men are professionals employed to do a job, which requires a quick turn around time which they were duly paid for. The Cuban Mechanics currently helping SANDF makes the whole Mechanics in the SA military incompetent according to your inference.

5. Unlike Cameroon and Chad who constantly beg for military aid, Nigeria buys all of its military hardware with hard earned cash. Despite the refusal of the US to sell vital equipments, we were able through resilience and doggedness to turn the tides.

REALITY CHECK: In Mali & after 3 months,36 Chadian troops killed,73 injured; AGAINST BH, 71 Chadian troops killed,416 injured in 3 months

Not gloating or boasting, compare the casualties in the Nigerian Army with the Niger Army in recent weeks to show who really is a lightweight. The Niger and Cameroonian armies are loosing more personels than Nigeria which is heavily involved in fighting the militants in Sambisa Forest.

agaugust:
Modern self loading multiple shot hunting rifle, not Zulu hunting spear. You are as obsolete as a Rooivalk.

Envy + Inferiority Complex = Suicide
.

They probably don't know about the 10 minutes cool off period required for the old Rooivalk's gun.

patches689:
- RAH-66 Comanch is cancelled
- AH-1W Cobra, a relic living on borrowed time.

Congratulations on missing the main point of my post though

On the issue of guns, take for instance the Apache Longbow's M230 30mm lightweight automatic cannon is effective, but limited.

It fires 30mm linkless ammunition at a rate of 625 shots per minute. However, the gun duty cycle to prevent overheating is as follows: six 50-round bursts with 5 seconds between bursts followed by a 10-minute cooling period. For bursts limited settings other than 50, the duty cycle can be generalized as no more than 300 rounds fired within 60 seconds before allowing the gun to cool for ten minutes, after which the cycle may be repeated.

In short, an Apache can only fire 300 rounds before having to take a ten minute break to allow the gun to cool, and this assumes the gun never jams or malfunctions. Time on station is limited by fuel, and pilots attempting to avoid enemy anti-aircraft fire shouldn't circle aimlessly for 10 minutes after each brief gun engagement. Perhaps a rotating gatling gun is required, but that is only part of the solution.

Source: http://g2mil.com/gunfighter.htm

In essence, the Gatling gun is more effective.

If the Apache with a superior R & D compared to the Rooivalk has this limitation, the incompetence of the Rooivalk becomes more glaring that it becomes a joke.

And on a side note, the Comanche was cancelled because of soaring costs not because it was ineffective.

patches689:
- RAH-66 Comanch is cancelled
- AH-1W Cobra, a relic living on borrowed time.

Congratulations on missing the main point of my post though

In case you missed this part:

How many rounds of ammo would you need to take out enemies in tanks? The Rooivalk's gun becomes useless against an enemy like the ISI with M1 Abram tanks.

The primary role of an attack helicopter has evolved over the years, a 1990 Rooivalk helicopter is obsolete in this day and age of BVR missiles, being obsolete is not about the possibility of upgrading the capability to carry a BVR missile, but in the total outlay of the platform and its avionics. With a superior radar the T129 doesn't need to be close to the theatre before engaging, it would have acquired targets, fired the missiles and returned to base while the Rooivalk is still looking for enemies to shoot at.


The T-129 has a radar that can track up to 128 targets at the same time and prioritise in real time. With this, the actual focus of the T-129 is not in shooting. If a single missile will take out more than the effect achieved in shooting the total rounds. Whats the point?

patches689:
This proves that he posts on beegugug's blog how?

Its Beegeagle not beegugug.

I apologies if you are dyslexic, but your other posts suggests otherwise.

The quote proves Col. Eeben's opinion, as corroborated on Beegeagle's blog that the victory is Nigeria's.

The point of argument is not about the identity of Eeben on Beegeagle's blog, there's no way to verify who the Eeben on Beeg's blog is.

Please stay on topic.

patches689:
1. Gyroscopically stabilized guns using firing computers and range finders do not have problems with accuracy.
2. The rate of fire of the gun on the T-129 gives is 20 seconds worth of trigger time before it has run out of ammo. The Rooivalk has 58 sec worth of trigger time.

High rates of fire from precision weapons are wasteful and inefficient and significantly reduce the time that the asset can remain in-theater.

There is a reason that the best Attack helo's such as the Apache, Rooivalk, Z-10, Mi Mil-28, Ka-50 and Eurocopter Tiger all use guns of this type.

So, in conclusion, the Rooivalk can "shoot" for LONGER, send MORE ordinance down range and send BIGGER ordinance down range with the gun that it has.

The AH-1Z Viper, RAH-66 Comanche, AH-1W Cobra using the gatling gun are not good attack helicopters because you said so.


How many rounds of ammo would you need to take out enemies in tanks? The Rooivalk's gun becomes useless against an enemy like the ISI with M1 Abram tanks.

The primary role of an attack helicopter has evolved over the years, a 1990 helicopter is obsolete in this day and age of BVR missiles. With a superior radar the T129 doesn't need to be close to the theatre before engaging, it would have acquired targets, fired the missiles and returned to base while the Rooivalk is still looking for enemies to shoot at.


The T-129 has a radar that can track up to 128 targets at the same time and prioritise in real time. With this, the actual focus of the T-129 is not in shooting. If a single missile will take out more than the what shooting the whole rounds. Whats the point?

International institutions and academics have no shortage of consternation when it comes to the use of certain types of private military companies. Most of these individuals were educated to believe in the Westphalian system, in which the state has the only legitimate monopoly on the use of force. Of course, there have always been huge exceptions to this rule since the current global order was established, but that doesn’t seem to deter them much. Besides that, STTEP was contracted by the government of Nigeria! How this differs so much from the myriad of American private military companies who contract in Iraq and Afghanistan is hard to fathom.

If any nation is guilty of outsourcing military tasks, it’s certainly the United States. “The current market maker for modern force is the United States, as it has turned to the private sector in unprecedented ways to support its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Sean McFate writes in his recent book “The Modern Mercenary.”

“For example, the United States has relied on contractors to develop the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, even awarding DynCorp International a contract worth up to $1 billion to train the police.” McFate also references PMCs like Lincoln Group, which came under investigation for running propaganda in the Iraqi press, and Total Intelligence Solutions, which, “runs spy rings for the U.S. government overseas.”

However, some private military companies are more equal than others. Little is said in the British press about Sterling Corporate Services or in the American press about MPRI, as the scandals have mostly focused on Blackwater contractors. Ironically, the same press that cries about the atrocities committed by Boko Haram also goes ballistic when a firm like STTEP effectively helps to cut the same terrorists down to size. Agenda-driven media accounts of Barlow and his activities only exacerbate the situation.

Take, for instance, a recent article published in the Guardian, which was more than likely written in response to part four of this series in which Barlow rejects the racial narrative his company has been accused of by the press. The Guardian article is actually quite an embarrassment for the writer, David Smith, and his editors, who spin a superficial narrative about old white mercenaries fighting for profit in Nigeria. The article cites those who are far removed from the conflict, pointing out that, although they have turned the tide against Boko Haram, they’re still just a bunch of old white racists.

This was the opinion given by Eben Barlow himself, and you would rather believe the accounts of a journalist sitting in a comfy office in Abuja over the words of the person on ground. What warped logic is that?

patches689:
Its not the Colonel

Its some deranged fool pretending to be him.

Thus: Your post is empty

Really?


Link: http://sofrep.com/40865/eeben-barlow-speaks-pt-6-south-african-contractors-withdrawal-nigeria/

The South African contractors of STTEP trained and served alongside the Nigerian Strike Force in combat against Boko Haram starting in January of 2015, putting a significant dent in the terrorist organization and helping to pave the way for Nigerians trapped behind enemy lines to participate in democratic elections in late March. With their three-month contract expiring, STTEP made a controlled withdrawal from Nigeria and had all of their employees returned home by late March.

Once it was determined that their contract would not be extended, “It then became a matter of withdrawing our employees in groups whilst a skeleton crew remained in place to ensure all equipment was handed back to the army in a controlled and orderly manner,” STTEP’s chairman, Eeben Barlow, told SOFREP. “The Nigerian Air Force flew our men to a large city from where they departed Nigeria.”

When asked if STTEP successful fulfilled the services stipulated in their contract with the Nigerian government, Barlow answered, “As our contract was of a mere three month’s duration, I think we achieved the best we could with very limited resources.” The South African contractors were initially brought on to help the Nigerian military rescue the Chibok school girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists, but as the enemy made significant advances in northern Nigeria, STTEP had to adjust their approach at the request of the Nigerian government. They were now to train the strike force to conduct “unconventional mobile warfare,” Barlow said (these tactics are detailed in a previous article). “I can only commend the training team for achieving what they did in a very short space of time,” Barlow said.

But when it came to turning the tide against Boko Haram, Barlow made it clear that, “The credit goes to the Nigerian Army, who were supported by the strike force we trained. The strike force was a force-multiplier in the area of operations.”

The strike force plowed into enemy-held terrain while the Nigerian Army sent in infantry to secure the strike force’s rear areas and sure up any gains made. As far as the punishment that the Nigerian forces dolled out to the enemy, Barlow said, “I do know that the enemy lost many of their technicals and that they suffered heavy casualties.”

But considering the impressive performance of the South African contractors and their host-nation counterparts in the Nigerian strike force, the question becomes why their contract was not extended for a further three months. While Boko Haram has been put on the ropes, they have yet to be crushed and permanently defeated.

“Obviously we, as a sub-contractor, were not privy to the decisions made regarding the contract, and we accept whatever decision the client-government makes,” Barlow said. Had the contractors overstayed their welcome, the media reports about out-of-control mercenaries would have been accurate, but the South Africans had no interest in camping out in mega-FOBs in Nigeria or occupying their host’s country.

The impact of the Nigerian elections

One factor contributing to the contractors’ withdrawal may have been the elections themselves. “The end of our three months coincided with the elections, and as is now known, a change of government. This obviously changed the political and military landscapes. With this change in government comes a change in many things, one of course being if STTEP is required or not,” Barlow said.

Another issue may have been the pressure African governments are subjected to by the international community for employing South Africans to help resolve their security issues. “Much of this pressure originated locally from the South African print media by apparent under-control journalists publishing misinformation on the company’s activities, even to the extent of claiming we were driving main battle tanks (MTBs) into battle!” Barlow is no stranger to media smear campaigns against the companies he has worked for, as Executive Outcomes came under the same pressure for their role in the Angola and Sierra Leone conflicts in the 1990s.

International institutions and academics have no shortage of consternation when it comes to the use of certain types of private military companies. Most of these individuals were educated to believe in the Westphalian system, in which the state has the only legitimate monopoly on the use of force. Of course, there have always been huge exceptions to this rule since the current global order was established, but that doesn’t seem to deter them much. Besides that, STTEP was contracted by the government of Nigeria! How this differs so much from the myriad of American private military companies who contract in Iraq and Afghanistan is hard to fathom.

If any nation is guilty of outsourcing military tasks, it’s certainly the United States. “The current market maker for modern force is the United States, as it has turned to the private sector in unprecedented ways to support its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Sean McFate writes in his recent book “The Modern Mercenary.”

“For example, the United States has relied on contractors to develop the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, even awarding DynCorp International a contract worth up to $1 billion to train the police.” McFate also references PMCs like Lincoln Group, which came under investigation for running propaganda in the Iraqi press, and Total Intelligence Solutions, which, “runs spy rings for the U.S. government overseas.”

However, some private military companies are more equal than others. Little is said in the British press about Sterling Corporate Services or in the American press about MPRI, as the scandals have mostly focused on Blackwater contractors. Ironically, the same press that cries about the atrocities committed by Boko Haram also goes ballistic when a firm like STTEP effectively helps to cut the same terrorists down to size. Agenda-driven media accounts of Barlow and his activities only exacerbate the situation.

Take, for instance, a recent article published in the Guardian, which was more than likely written in response to part four of this series in which Barlow rejects the racial narrative his company has been accused of by the press. The Guardian article is actually quite an embarrassment for the writer, David Smith, and his editors, who spin a superficial narrative about old white mercenaries fighting for profit in Nigeria. The article cites those who are far removed from the conflict, pointing out that, although they have turned the tide against Boko Haram, they’re still just a bunch of old white racists.

“The South African government has been fed such a false narrative by the South African media that it is possible they requested the Nigerian government not to extend the contract. The media here has tried very hard to turn this into a racial issue with the intent to create as much suspicion as possible,” Barlow wrote. “It is a sad day for Africa when a few in the media want to ensure a continuation of conflict as opposed to an end to it, and want to dictate who a government may use and who not.”

As for the claim that the SADF veterans are getting up there in age, Barlow doesn’t bat an eye. “Yes, many of us are no longer 20-year-olds,” Barlow told SOFREP. “However, we are all mentally and physically fit, and can hack it with our younger-generation employees. But, with our age has come knowledge of conflicts and wars in Africa they have yet to learn, a wealth of experience the youngsters do not have, and a steady hand when things get rough.” While the infantry may be a young man’s game, unconventional warfare requires a different, more mature, type of soldier.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is left to struggle with their internal security dilemmas, first among them being Boko Haram. “The enemy was not annihilated and was able to flee the battlefield with some of their forces intact, and will no doubt regroup and continue their acts of terror to enforce their political and religious philosophy,” Barlow said. “The ending of Boko Haram will be political and economical in nature, as you cannot kill an aspiration.”

The Nigerian government will have to continue to battle Boko Haram on the battlefield, but this effort will have to be done in tandem with political and economic reform in order to create a lasting peace. Barlow acknowledged this reality, arguing that military force is important, but not enough by itself. “Like elsewhere on the continent, the majority of the security problems will continue to be driven by socio-political factors and motivated at times by extremism.”

When it came to the subject of military reform in Nigeria, Barlow offered a few words of advice:

“I would like to see a reorganization of the security forces, including training to enable the security forces to pose an effective and credible deterrent to any bad guys. By reorganization, I mean a redesigning of the order of battle as African armies are merely clones of their pre-independence rulers, making them slow to react, lacking in flexibility, and relying on relative strengths. But all of this will require a refocused strategic vision and threat analysis, coupled to sound advice, training, and the correct equipment. From an equipment point of view, Africa has become the dumping ground of old, obsolete equipment that is purchased on bad advice.”

The future for the Nigerian strike force that STTEP trained is uncertain. Will it continue to operate as a highly mobile direct-action unit, or be disbanded? While STTEP and the strike force took Boko Haram down a few pegs, their final battle remains to be fought. If anything, the contractors and their Nigerian partners have provided the Nigerian government with some breathing room to institute the needed military, economic, and political reforms needed to ensure the Boko Haram is permanently neutered as a threat to the Nigerian people.

Barlow and his men demonstrated in Nigeria that it is possible to chalk up incredible successes against enemy insurgents, a vexing problem set that the American military has failed to adequately address in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and elsewhere.

“To defeat such an enemy militarily, we must out-think and outsmart him by adopting tactics, techniques, and procedures that are so unexpected and unconventional that he becomes confused and loses his cohesion. That is what we tried to do with the strike force, but three months is a very short time in which to do that effectively,” Barlow said, explaining his approach to warfare—a rejection of conventional thinking that lumps such conflicts into counterinsurgency models. “However, if the Nigerian Army does not annihilate the armed Boko Haram members, the government will not be able to negotiate from a position of ultimate strength or be able to govern in a secure environment.”

DieVluit:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/11596210/South-African-mercenaries-secret-war-on-Boko-Haram.html

South African mercenaries' secret war on Boko Haram
Mercenaries from South Africa have proved quietly decisive in helping the Nigerian military turn around its campaign against Boko Haram, writes Colin Freeman in Abuja


Col Barlow's new company is known as STTEP, which stands for Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection. It is thought to have sent around 100 men to Nigeria, including black troopers who previously served in elite South African units. Others even fought as communist guerrillas against the South African Defence Force.

Describing Boko Haram as "a bunch of armed thugs who have used religion as the glue to hold their followers", Col Barlow said the initial plan was for his men to train up a team to help free the schoolgirls. However, as Boko Haram continued to run amok across northern Nigeria, massacring hundreds at a time in village raids, the plan turned to schooling Nigeria's largely traditional army in “unconventional mobile warfare”.

Read more... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/11596210/South-African-mercenaries-secret-war-on-Boko-Haram.html

Col Eben himself on Beegeagles' blog stated that the role of his team was purely an advisory role for the SF Battalion. How do you prove otherwise, or simply put how logical does it sound to you that 100 PMCs liberated a place the size of Belgium from terrorists. Does that make sense?

Col. Eben's team finished their contracts in mid March, Nigerian troops entered Sambisa the boko-haram's headquarters in the middle of April, how did they fight the war on Nigeria's behalf... Was it materially or spiritually?


When the US uses the PMCs in Iraq its normal, but when Nigeria uses one on an advisory role, they are suddenly fighting Nigeria's war, talk of double speak. The same US that was disgraced out of Vietnam and Yemen

And to the South-africans playing to the scripts of the white supremacists, putting your neighbour's light out would not make yours shine brighter.

MikeCZAR:
Did you know: Your brain is a muscle?

Anatomically, the brain definitely is not a muscle; it's predominantly gray and white matter, with cellular structure and function totally different form that of a muscle. It is also far more complex.

If the question was meant to be an insult...then I shudder at the thought of how unintelligent you could be, all because you don't agree with a line of thought. If you have a dissenting view, put it forward and lets deliberate like adults, not making innaliloquent statements like someone suffering from lalochazia.

Ishilove:
You can't buy love. I'm glad she disabused him of that notion.

Tell that to some celebrities married to their ancestors, because they are billionaires claiming love.

I no mention names o

Modified:

The same girl posted that the "ugliest girl" in her school is engaged while she's still single. What nonsense

MikeCZAR:
What is "total fire power caliber"?

You ran into the slaghuis lamb! You can't save him its too late, we are now cutting chump steaks!

I endorse @aguagust 200%

When you fire a single barrel gun, the probability that the two bullet would hit the same target is less that 5% in a static sniper rifle, because of the variables of nature (majorly wind), which changes the trajectory of the bullet. Now imagine how impossible this is on an helicopter performing strafing runs.

Secondly when you fire both guns in let's say 5 sec short burst

Single barrel: approximately fires an hypothetical 25 rounds in 5seconds

Gatlin gun: fires approximate 75 rounds in the same time frame, hence it give the impression of three guns firing at you at once.

This approach is more effective and would result in a higher kill rate.

He never said three bullets get fired at once, stop twisting his words to score cheap points. And I noticed someone Taking a cheap shot at his speech impediment, how low can you go? Making fun of a stammerer doesn't make you intelligent, neither does it make you a superior human.

patches689:
1. No - there is no parts commonality with the platforms you have. Thus there is a parts challenge as engineers and mechanics will have to be retrained to operate it, massive stores of parts will have to be aquired and so will extensive ammounts of specialist equipment. This will be costly and challenging.
2. Again, you dont operate helicopters that use the same engine or configuration. So no - there is no comminality
3. The T129 has seen no combat. The T-129 is not the A-129
4. Yes, your leadership also said you would get Tucano's, T80U's, Su30's, JF-17s etc etc etc and you havent.

You arent getting the T129, you dont have the infrastructure to support it, you dont have the money to buy it, and the Turks are too busy building their own to sell you any in the near future.

I am sorry that reality does not correlate to your delusion. But these are the facts.

Can you show me where a Nigerian military personnel talked about the bolded platforms in an interview with the press. I am not asking for hear-says, I am asking for a citation of an ordinary spokesperson mentioning any of those platforms in an interview.

You're saying according to your logic that: the Chief of Air Staff would go on record to claim that the Airforce is getting a platform when they are not, and he would further elaborate on the broader scope of integration and how the helicopter fits into the chain of command of the Airforce, without being certain of how feasible that plan is.

If thats the norm in SAAF, thats not acceptable in NAF and i take your assertions as an insult to say the least.

Apache AH-64: 4 hard points
Rooivalk: 6 hard points

Does that make the Rooivalk better? Hell no

MikeCZAR:
Sensors, computers and softwares can easily be upgraded.

Let's talk about flying characteristics and hardware.

Hellfire: 8km.
Seeker: Modular.
Mokopa: 10km.
Seeker: Modular.

Mokopa >

Rooivalk: In service, operational and combat tested.

T-129: Limited service and untested.

No it can't be upgraded, you need the technical know-how and no country would give you that for you to integrate on your platform and compete with them for potential buyers.

Secondly T-129 is based on the well tested Mangusta. So, your point on untested is baseless.

Thirdly, you don't have Mokopa in service, hence no proven use. unlike the Hellfire used almost weekly to takeout terrorists with proven accuracy.

Fourthly, your bush war relic Rooivalk having a higher service ceiling makes no difference in actual combat for an helicopter vs helicopter engagement. Reason is that most air to air missiles have a higher range than the general service ceiling of most helicopters.

Fifth, you urgently need more platforms before you can even engage the NAF in an Helicopter vs helicopter warfare.
SAAF: 8 or 10 AH
NAF: 50 AH excluding the T129

Sixth, for the CAS to be mentioning the name of a platform in Nigeria, it means the deal is 80% certain. The Nigerian military brass are that thorough and discreet about procurements. And not only did he mention it, he spoke about the broader scope of integration, this is not some "project Biro" comedy show. **no offence

MikeCZAR:
Rooivalk: 6 Hardpoints.
T-129: 4 Hard points.

T-129: advanced millimetre wave radar (MILDAR), similar to the Longbow and the IAI/ELTA radars.
Rooivalk: Doppler radar and GPS ( obsolete piece of junk)

T-129: AGM-114 Hellfire missiles (the best in the world even the Reaper drones and advanced American systems use it)
Rooivalk: Mokopa missile ( sounds like makossa no offence) **mokopa isn't in service with the SAAF**

Henry120:
Soweto r3tard!

SAAF isn't getting anymore Half-french Helicopters, if you were, you won't have only 10 in active service.


When Nigerian went to the market to purchase Helicopters, Africa felt it. 40 attack/Transport Helicopters in all, excluding up-grades done to NAF super-Puma's.

-12 MI-35M and 12 MI-171sh Terminator

-At least 8 MI-24v Helicopters and MI-17 from ukraine

-12 MI-35p from belarus.

-At leat 8 Gazelle Helicopters for Army Air corps.

* drones and additional survelliance planes not added.

* watch this space, the Nigerian Army Air corps is seriously considering the TAI T129 ATAK Helicopter.


This is how we ball bi.tch !!


Yes, I know how the SAAF spent money on jets it cannot afford, it cannot fly and cannot keep in the air. 9 pilots in 16 years isn't actually a stellar record.

We also know how your project biro is about to celebrate it's 23 birthday as a colossal pipe dream. TBH, i'm genuinely concerned.


So, white boy, what is going to replace your half-french helicopter?

Here's a quote from the CAS confirming the T129 helicopters

Another technology that falls within the NEC, he said, is the T129 attack helicopters, which we are trying to acquire now, and once the pilot is on flight with the forward looking infra red, he does not need to come back home before striking. As the enemy is being detected, he gets directive to continue the strike, and that makes the strike easy.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/amosu-air-force-to-monitor-control-multiple-war-operations-from-abuja/208802/