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Navy inaugurates new landing ship tank in UAE

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3 years ago

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Nigerian Navy (NN) commissions new Landing Ship Tank (LST) at Damen Shipyard, Sharjah, UAE, to replace its first set of LSTs, an official statement says.
By Yahaya Isah

The Nigerian Navy (NN) has commissioned a new Landing Ship Tank (LST) at Damen Shipyard, Sharjah, UAE, to replace its first set of LSTs, an official statement has said.

The statement by the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Suleman Dahun, stated that the construction of the ship began about two years ago and its introduction into the Navy’s inventory would no doubt bolster its sealift capabilities.

In addition, he noted that the introduction of the LST would enhance the transportation of troops, military hardware and vehicles in the conduct of maritime security operations launched from sea and supply of relief materials during national emergencies.

“The vessel will serve as a critical component of NN’s power projection for enhanced maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond.

“It will also play a critical role in the protection of maritime assets, as well as law and order at sea, thus contributing significantly to the promotion of global maritime commerce, peace and safety.“

The director explained that the new LST has a complement of 32 crew and 250 embarked persons and a length of 100.08m, powered by two Caterpillar/Cat 3516 C-rating engines and four Caterpillar C-18 generators.

Similarly, the LST has an endurance of 15 days at 15 knots, if used for humanitarian missions and evacuation. It can accommodate over 450 persons on its upper and lower decks on short trips, Dahun added.

It would be recalled that the bidding for the procurement of the LST was held on Dec. 19 2017, supervised and conducted by a team from the Bureau of Public Procurement as well as a technical committee of the NN.

The shipbuilding companies that participated in the bidding were Damen Shipyards of the Netherlands, AnadoluDeniz of Turkey and Indian Shipyards GOA of India.

However, on June 13 2019, the NN and Damen Shipyards signed the final general agreement plan and specifications on the LST 100 and June 13 2019, became the effective date for the contract, whose duration was mutually agreed at 36 months.

The Keel laying ceremony for the LST 100 was held on Dec. 9 2019, at the Damen-Albwardy Shipyard in Sharjah, UAE, and was sealed by the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok Ibas, Dahun said.

“Over the past two years, several Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) with regards to various components of the LST 100 have been jointly and successfully completed by the NN and Damen Shipyards.

“Most notable among these FATs is the main propulsion engines tested in 2019 and 2020, respectively, as well as the Remote Weapon system also successfully tested in March“, he added.

Damen Shipyards is one of the biggest multinational shipbuilding groups in the world, operating more than 50 shipbuilding and repair yards worldwide. (NAN)

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Defence and Security

Tinubu Appoints New DG for NIA, DSS

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2 weeks ago

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August 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed is the new Director-General of the NIA.

Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi is the new Director-General of the DSS.

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President, Media & Publicity

The statement reads : “Ambassador Mohammed has had an illustrious career in the foreign service since joining the NIA in 1995.

He had served in various roles, culminating in his promotion to the rank of Director and his subsequent appointment as the head of the Nigerian mission to Libya”

“The 1990 graduate of Bayero University, Kano, had served in North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and at the State House, Abuja”

“The new DSS Director-General, Mr.

Adeola Ajayi, rose through the ranks to attain his current post of Assistant Director-General of the Service. He had, at various times, served as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi”

“The new appointments follow the resignation of the previous NIA and DSS chiefs”

“President Tinubu expects that the new security chiefs will work assiduously to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results and charges them to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the country through enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in surgical alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The President thanks the outgoing Directors-General of the two pivotal intelligence agencies for their services to the nation while wishing them success in their future endeavours”

 

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Defence and Security

Army Has No Desire To Truncate Nigeria’s Democracy — COAS

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6 months ago

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March 5, 2024

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Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja
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The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Tuesday, restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to defend the nation’s choice of government, democracy.

Addressing participants at a seminar on career planning and management organised by the Army headquarters, the COAS said the Army has no plans to truncate democracy in the country.

He charged officers of the Nigerian Army to remain above board in the discharge of their professional duties.

“Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian Army has come to terms with the country’s choice of democracy as the preferred system of governance,” he said during his address to officers.

“We are therefore agents of democracy and have no desire to truncate it. The Nigerian Army will continue to defend our constitution and not suspend it for whatever reason.

“It is the duty of our elected leaders to lead while the military does its job as enshrined in our constitution. Nigerian Army personnel must therefore remain professional and be above board as they discharge their constitutional duties.”

The commitment by the COAS followed the series of putsches in West and Central Africa which have experienced at least seven military takeovers in the last four years.

Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and most recently, Niger Republic — all members of the Economic Community of Western African States ( ECOWAS) — have pulled out from the regional bloc in last four years. Outside of West Africa, Chad and Sudan also experienced military coups in 2021.

 

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Defence and Security

Economic: Defence Chief Warns Coup Advocates

Published

7 months ago

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February 22, 2024

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Defence HQ Logo
Defence HQ Logo
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The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has warned against advocating for a coup due to economic hardship, emphasizing patience and the superiority of democracy.

He made this known on Thursday while speaking with journalists at the Nigerian Army 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after commissioning some building projects.

General Musa urged individuals promoting military takeover to cease such statements.

The Chief of Defence Staff had earlier commissioned the newly constructed Entrance Gate and Officers Transit Accommodation at the 6 Division Headquarters.

Protests have occurred in Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Niger and some parts of the country in the last few weeks over the hardship experienced in the country as Nigerians lament food inflation, high cost of living, amongst other harsh living conditions occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy, forex crisis, amongst others.

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