Nigerian Air Force to request Scorpions

The Nigerian Air Force is expected to come to the US Gov't requesting up to a squadrons worth of Textron Scorpion aircraft to fight Boko Haram. Their Air Force currently operates the unarmed ATR-42 in the surveillance role, and the Chengdu F-7Ni in the strike role. Operating the Scorpion would allow them to combine the two missions onto one aircraft. The F-7 is unable to perform precision strikes, and can't attack insurgents in civilian areas.

Nigeria's air force has expressed an interest in acquiring the Textron AirLand Scorpion strike and surveillance aircraft in order to counter the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency in the country.

The service currently operates both dedicated strike and surveillance types – the Chengdu F-7Ni and ATR 42, respectively – but believes that a low-cost aircraft with a dual capability would enable quicker and more precise counter-insurgency operations.

“In my country, we want and need this,” AVM RA Ojuawo, director of operations representing CAS, Nigerian air force headquarters, told the International Fighter conference in London on 18 November. “We want this equipment, but are they going to give it to us?”

www.flightglobal.com...

I thought the scorpion was still in a trial phase. Have they gone through any weapons training with the aircraft yet ?

I am pretty sure we can work something out. Lots of goodies here for an empire to plunder.

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

They haven't done live fire yet, but it has participated in the ISR role during Vigilant Guardian this year. I don't forsee any problems though with weapons tests that can't be overcome.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Fair enough apart from the F35 this little aircraft has definitely caught my eye. Shame I didn't get to see it do a show at RIAT only saw it take off and disappear. What would be the chances of the RAF ever using these ? Would they be good replacement trainers for the Hawks ?

Is that F-7 a MIG-21 knockoff? That Scorpion looks pretty sweet. I have to wonder if Nigeria has the support structure to maintain them?

a reply to: JIMC5499

The F-7 is the export version, but yes. The J-7 is the Chinese license copy of the MiG-21.

a reply to: JIMC5499

If they can maintain F-7's they probably can maintain Scorpions - which are probably designed to be much easier to maintain than the F-7.

Don't be surprised if you start seeing UAE's name attached to rumours either. This is an ideal platform for a lot of people, and because it isn't high-end (at least from the weapons platform angle), it will be easier to get political will behind foreign sales.

Im excited about this. I was hoping that they would get at least one order from some country that may open the door for other countries to join in. The modular aspect alone on this jet makes it incredibly versatile. I'd like for our guard/reserve forces to operate it too.

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Very very small the Hawk line is still open and a new build is underway for the RAF. assuming 20/30years of life. Although give this thing laser guided rockets and a good cannon could be very handy :-)

RAB

a reply to: boomer135

It will be interesting to see if they take the ISR version or the CAS/fighter variant with the different wing. I wonder if it will be possible to modify them from one version to the other on the flight line? I would assume its not quite that easy but still interesting nonetheless. This would be perfect for use in a continental U.S. patrol guise to replace F-16's with and vastly cheaper to operate for what are just "showing the flag" exercises anyway or looking for drug runners. Makes you wonder why some countries with little to realistically need full blown combat aircraft on patrol duties don't consider it to replace at least part of their F-16 inventories with (a la Denmark). Oh thats right, fighter pilot ego's drive it!

Why would they buy this over say a Hawk 200? Bloomin Textron upstarts...

Nigerian airforce to beat Boko Haram nothing like playing the Terrorist card to get past the ITAR / Arms embargo's.

Wouldnt the US prefer to support Nigeria through operating UAVs for them rather than supplying them arms? Once Boko Haram has been dealt a swift blow and the country is secure, then we could talk about arms for minerals.

originally posted by: TheCrowMan
Wouldnt the US prefer to support Nigeria through operating UAVs for them rather than supplying them arms? Once Boko Haram has been dealt a swift blow and the country is secure, then we could talk about arms for minerals.

you would think so. but maby considering the way things are, the US would prefer to arm, annihilate and take? much higher cut and not that many more resources will be taken in the next 20 years right? lots of exploration still to be done and who knows what the US can see with their satellites * puts on tin foil hat*

a reply to: Zaphod58

It's important to note that scorpions may be considered dangerous. They are related to arachnids, for example.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Nigerian Air Force
Needs them to strenghten its air and land defence says America can have unfettered acsess to its Navy as well.
And if you give us thease planes it willl alow us to pay you a hundred times there market value .As the planes will terrify the primitive jungle tribes into giveing us all there gold silver and dimonds they have so many there children use dimonds as marbles.
And we definetly will not sell them on to the highest bidder and say the money has disapeared in event the unlikley event of a cou de tat,
Honest you can trust a Nigerian his word is his bond unless its a bail bond then his word is worthless.

Im sorry but isnt the scorpion a ATTACK CHOPPER? Not a fightercraft i s it?

a reply to: yuppa

www.scorpionjet.com...

ISR and light attack aircraft

Hi guys,

Saw this a few day's ago and thought hmm.. linkage:

www.janes.com...

If this happens someone's spending on both new isr/attack and a decent attacker..

RAB