The Nigerian Navy has acquired 12 new Comstrac System Ovation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to enhance its maritime security operations. The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, said the new UAVs would complement the existing air assets of the Navy, while supporting the surface ships and maritime domain awareness platforms. He made this known at the commissioning ceremony of the UAVs and the adoption of the revised Local Operating Procedure and Local Training Order, held at the Naval Air Base, Ojo, Lagos, on Friday.
The CNS, who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Adm. Zakariyyah Muhammed, said the UAVs had advanced capabilities and versatility that would improve the naval surveillance and strategic capabilities. He said the Navy was embracing cutting-edge technologies to enhance its national security in an era where the nature of warfare was evolving rapidly. He added that the Navy was expecting five more helicopters within the first quarter of 2024, which would further boost its maritime capabilities. He said the new air assets would make the waters safer for both local and international maritime trade.
He commended the Western Naval Command for its innovative and dogged efforts toward maintaining credible maritime presence and curtailing criminalities in its area of operations. The Nigerian Navy has been expanding its drone fleet in recent years, as it faces various security challenges in the maritime domain, such as piracy, oil theft, illegal fishing, and militancy.
In 2019, the Navy said it used drones and helicopters for surveillance of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines, although it did not state the type of drone used. The Navy also operates nine ADS Aerostar drones, RemoEye 002Bs (manufactured by South Korea’s Uconsystems), and TEKEVER AR3 UAVs.
In September 2022, the Navy took delivery of at least four AR-500 ship-based drones from China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The AR-500 drones can carry out tactical intelligence, wide-area surveillance and identification, target acquisition, precision strikes, and maritime relay communication tasks. They will be deployed aboard the Navy vessels, most likely the Chinese-made P-18 offshore patrol craft, and the hydrographic survey vessel NNS Lana. Nigeria has also procured other unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) from China, such as two Wing Loong II, four CH-4Bs, and two CH-3Bs.
As part of the Deep Blue Project, in collaboration with the Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Portuguese Tekever has delivered several shipborne AR3 NET RAY unmanned aerial systems to the Navy. The Tekever AR3 UAS were delivered on 16 December 2020, at the Apapa Dockyard in Lagos. They will operate alongside two special mission CJ3 Cessna aircraft, which are housed in 107 Air Maritime Group (NAF 107 AMG) located in Benin city, as well as two Leonardo ATR 42 Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the Air Force. The Deep Blue Project is aimed at enhancing the maritime security architecture and capacity of Nigeria. The Nigerian Navy has shown its commitment to leveraging drone technology to secure its vast and complex maritime domain.
Nigeria uses drones to fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which is the most dangerous area for seafarers in the world. Nigeria has acquired various types of drones, such as Comstrac System Ovation, ADS Aerostar, RemoEye 002B, TEKEVER AR3, AR-500, Wing Loong II, CH-4B, and CH-3B, to enhance its maritime security operations. These drones can perform tasks such as surveillance, intelligence, identification, target acquisition, precision strikes, and communication relay. They can also support the surface ships, helicopters, and aircraft of the Nigerian Navy. Nigeria has launched a $195 million U.S.-backed initiative called Deep Blue, which aims to deploy and coordinate these drones and other assets to deter and combat piracy in the region. Nigeria hopes to reduce its reliance on private security companies and protect its maritime trade and oil industry from pirate attacks.
Piracy discourages investment and trade in the maritime sector, which is vital for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, as well as other exports and imports. Piracy reduces the revenue and profits of the shipping companies, as they have to incur higher costs for security, insurance, and ransom payments.
Drones help the Nigerian Navy fight piracy by providing aerial surveillance, intelligence, identification, target acquisition, precision strikes, and communication relay in the Gulf of Guinea, which is the most dangerous area for seafarers in the world. Drones can also support the surface ships, helicopters, and aircraft of the Nigerian Navy, as well as the maritime security architecture and capacity of Nigeria.