NAF Explain Why GULMA UAV Is Not Ready For Seach Of Chibok Girls
Nigerian military industry boasted its home-made drone in the end of last year, but cannot send it for search and rescue mission in Sambisa forest to locate kidnapped Chibok girls. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has finally explained why foreign unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) roam Nigeria’s skies instead.
NAF PR & Information Director, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, explained the current situation with Nigerian-made drone, GULMA, in a statement on May 27, 2014, Tuesday.
* GULMA drone showcased to President Jonathan
The commodore explained that the model of the UAV presented to Goodluck Jonathan in Kaduna on December 17, 2013, was just a prototype. The mass production of such systems has not started yet.
In addition to this, the operators of the UAV, who pilot and control it from ground during missions, have not completed their training yet.
* Nigerian-made UAV in flight
Anas further urged the public to desist from blaming NAF for its inability to launch a drone on a real mission. He emphasised that the service achieved good results in development and production of the indigenous UAV, which have been witnessed by the president himself.
* Israeli-made Aerostar drone
Nigerian fleet of UAVs also includes Aerostar drones, purchased from an Israeli company Aeronautics Defense Systems back in the year 2006. There is no chance to use them during anti-terrorist campaign, because these flying machines remain grounded due to lack of spare parts and inability to conduct maintenance.
* U.S. Air Force UAV RQ-4 Global Hawk based in Chad
The U.S. drones search missing girls 24/7 taking off and landing in Chad, as the local airbase is closer to the search area, which means the UAVs may spend more times in the sky. Unarmed Global Hawks UAVs have been already deployed, while participation of MQ-1 Predator drones, capable of carrying missiles, is also expected.
* USAF Predator UAV
Unfortunately, the Pentagon and DHQ Nigeria do not share reconnaissance data on full scale due to absence of the appropriate agreements between the two governments.
Source: Legit.ng
