NAF Showcases Made-in-Nigeria Military Tech, Unveils UAV Plans
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reiterated its commitment to indigenous solutions in defence as it unveiled a range of homegrown military technologies, including rockets, launchers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), during its Research and Development Competition and Exhibition in Abuja.
Speaking at the event held as part of activities marking the NAF’s 61st Anniversary, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said the NAF is pursuing a strategic shift towards local innovation to better address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
“In a rapidly changing world, anticipating, adapting and innovating are crucial for transforming the NAF into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets national security demands in all operational environments,” Abubakar said.
He disclosed that the Air Force has made remarkable progress in local defence manufacturing, citing breakthroughs in the development of rockets and launchers, heat shields, aircraft weaponization, retrofitting of unserviceable rockets, production of blank firing adapters, and multiple UAV prototypes.
“These feats have helped sustain our operations in various theatres across the country,” he said, highlighting that the success stems from years of dedicated research and technical skill-building.
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In a major revelation, the CAS announced that the production of six UAVs, in partnership with UAVision of Portugal, is expected to be completed and operational by the final quarter of 2025.
He also revealed that five top-performing projects from the previous inter-command research competition had been selected for full funding and development.
“The projects, once completed, will be deployed in appropriate roles and monitored for performance improvement,” he stated.
Abubakar further urged members of the Defence Industries Association of Nigeria to explore opportunities to partner with the NAF on operationalising and potentially commercialising some of the innovations displayed.
“Through this approach, we can incrementally advance our promising innovations towards expeditious completion, operationalisation and sale to both local and potential foreign customers,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Halilu, praised the NAF’s leadership in technological innovation. He noted that the competition was a testament to the service’s long-standing commitment to self-reliance and defence capability development.
The event featured exhibitions of locally developed aerospace technologies, with participants from NAF commands across the country presenting innovative solutions aimed at boosting Nigeria’s defence posture.
By PRNigeria
