DICON: Time to get serious

All over the world, armed forces have pioneered efforts in research, development and production. These efforts have led to innovations, inventions that have changed the nature of warfare.

Using technology from the 1.0 revolution through 2.0, 3.0 and now 4.0 revolution, countries have developed arms, armaments and other war needs.

In achieving this, nations establish defence industries and military industrial complexes for optimal utilization and coordination of human and material resources.

The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, among others have thriving MICs. These efforts are geared towards self-sufficiency in both peace and war time. Nations like Ukraine, Israel and those mentioned heretofore, earn substantial revenues from trade in weapons and armaments.

Like these countries, some African countries have also established defence industries to produce arms and other materials for the need of their armed forces.Research reveals that out of ‘54 countries in Africa, only 11 manufacture some of the weapons their armed forces and other security agencies use’.  These include: South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Namibia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. South Africa stands out, ‘as  one of the most advanced in the non-western world, on par with fellow IBSA partners, India and Brazil.’ According to Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher, Arms Transfer Program at the Stockholm International Peace  Research Institute, “South African arms industry has advanced in a few niche areas such as certain light armored vehicles and anti-tank missiles. The country’s weaponry and other military equipment are in high demand in many countries throughout the world, from the United States to China, and from Sweden to Zambia.”

Nigeria established the Defence Industries Corporation (DICON) in 1964. DICON started manufacturing weapons out of necessity of the civil war in the late 1960s. DICON has made efforts at manufacturing various weapons for domestic consumption such its own version of the Kalashnikov (AK 47) automatic rifle, 0BJ-006, NR-light automatic rifles (LAR), like the Russian Degtyaryou hand-held machine gun, submachine gun PMS 12, a copy of Beretta model 12, rifle 1 Model 7.62mm, a version of Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Leger (FN FAL), light automatic weapon, pistol (NP 1), general purpose machine gun, GPMG, a copy of MG 34 designed in 1934 by Heinrich Vollmer of Mauser.

It has also made small arms such as rocket-propelled grenade launcher, (RPG), M36 hand grenade and 81 mm mortar. It has made effort at producing ammunitions such as 7.62mmxsoft core (ball) catridge., 7.62mmx51 blank-bulleted catridge, 9mm blank star among others.

There have been recent effort by the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy,Nigerian Air Force and other private concerns in production of arms and armaments.

Responding to current security challenges in the country, Nigerian Army Engineers manufactured Igirigi Armoured Personnel Carier and  Infantry Patrol Vehicle (IPV). DICON designed and developed in collaboration with Command Engineering Depot (CED) EZUGWU, TY Buratai Combat Vehicles.  TYB ROVER is an initiative of then Commandant of Depot Nigerian Army, Major General VO Ezugwu through the Military Skill and Acquisition Training Programme in partnership with Ahmadu Bello University’s Engineering Department and National Automotive Council, Abuja.

The Ngerian Navy has through Navy Engineers, at the Navy Dockyard made a seaward defence boat (SDB) after four and half years of hard work named Andoni Seawards Defence Boat 1 and Karaduwa Seawards Defence Boat 11, NNS Karaduwa (P-102),considered ‘largest and most sophisticated Nigerian made weapon system.

Nigerian Airforce made drones, Tsaigumi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, built by Nigerian Air Force aerospace engineers. Others include Amebo Unmmanned Aerial Vehicles, Gulma Unmanned Aerial Vwhicle, and Star Tiltrotor unmanned aircraft which takes off vertically and can go up to five kilometres for aerial survilliance  and has aerial bombardment capabilities, IED-defusing robot and 31 mm rocket system.

Private concerns such as Proforce,has manufactured armored vehicles namely Proforce Ara Mine Resistance and Protected (MRAP) Vehicle, Infantry Patrol Vehicles (IPV), and PF1 Armoured Personnel Carrier. Innoson Motors has also manufactured patrol vehicles  (Innoson Patrol Vehicles).

Despite these efforts by DICON and various services in the armed

forces, Nigeria is lagging behind its peers in the drive towards ‘self-reliance and self-sufficiency  in the production of military hardware. In its over 50 years of existence, DICON has faced challenges of inadequate funding, lack of coordination, centralization and binding of all defence production centres such as Nigerian Army Central Workshop, Nigerian Naval Dockyard Limited and Air Force Institute of Technology and other similar institutions. Unlike its peers, Brazil and India that have graduated from production of their military needs to a more strategic approach that is focused on immediate and future wars, Nigeria has continued to foot-drag on an efficient military industrial complex positioned to enhance its military capabilities.

Unlike other countries too, there has not been desired linkages among various critical institutions that can galvanize needed human resources for research and development that will lead to production. Due to inadequate funding, DICON  has been unable to mass produce its inventions.

Nigeria cannot project its national power effectively, if it continues to rely solely on importation of all arms and armaments. As noted by Group Captain SG Shehu, a retired air force officer and expert on military history, compared to Brazil’s defence industry which is manufacturing aircraft, Nigeria’s Defence Industry is still discussing the production of uniforms which do not require any special skills.

For Nigeria to earn respect and take its rightful place as giant of Africa, it must think differently and do things differently by investing in DICON. Above all, it is time to identify  and assemble those with requisite knowledge either in the military or other professions serving or retired for a more robust approach to providing our defence and security needs.

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