Nigeria has created “Africa’s first attack drone”

The Nigerian Armed Forces, in partnership with the communications company Briech UAS, have unveiled “Africa’s first and largest attack drone”.

This was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.

Briech UAS, together with the Nigerian Army, demonstrated these attack drones and ammunition at the company’s headquarters in Abuja.

Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Defense Staff, hailed the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s progress toward self-sufficiency in defense technology and an important step in strengthening national security.

Musa emphasized the importance of developing drones, particularly for intelligence gathering. He noted that these drones will play a key role in combating complex and asymmetric security threats.

“These force multipliers will greatly enhance the operational effectiveness of our army, especially in a world where global politics make it difficult to procure advanced military equipment,” he said.

According to him, countries that do not create such solutions face bureaucratic and diplomatic problems during acquisition, so developing their own products solves this problem.

Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang emphasized the importance of supporting local products for Nigeria’s growth. According to him, drones will be vital in protecting the country’s sovereignty. Especially in Plateau State, where some of these technologies have already been deployed to fight insurgency.

As a reminder, in May 2024, Nigeria received 20 locally produced Mengshi light armored vehicles, which are manufactured in the country from Chinese machine kits.

The localization of production is part of Nigeria’s strategy to reduce dependence on foreign military supplies and strengthen national security by increasing the army’s operational readiness with locally produced technologies.

The Dong Feng CSK-131 Mengshi is a light armored vehicle developed by the Chinese company Dong Feng. This model is an evolution of its predecessor, the EQ2060, with a completely modernized chassis, a new engine and significant electronics improvements.

The CSK-131 is available in several variants tailored to specific needs. For example, the command post version, known as the CSK-131 Command Post, has an advanced communications package. The Armored Reconnaissance variant includes weapons such as a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 35 mm automatic grenade launcher mounted on the combat module.