Nigeria Needs Total Radar Coverage For Its Airspace For National Security – CAS
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has declared that Nigeria needs a total radar coverage of its airspace for adequate and effective national security.
This was as he said that the ability of the NAF to churn out ideas to harness the power of technology, will determine its success in ensuring the highest levels of operational effectiveness and efficiency.
Abubakar, who stated these on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) 2023 Communication Information Systems (CIS), Conference in Abuja, said that monitoring the Nigerian airspace through the implementation of military total radar coverage would position the Force to meet the country’s airpower demands.
The CAF said it was part of the goals the NAF had been tirelessly pursuing thus, tasked the participants to come up with viable ideas to achieve the feat.
Abubakar said the CIS was one of the pillars of modern military operations as it enables commanders to make informed decisions, coordinate forces and by extension, achieve mission success.
He noted that the NAF had always strived to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, adding that the drive to stay ahead of the curve in adopting new technologies corresponds with one of the key enablers of his Command philosophy.
This, he further said is prioritising Research and Development, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and strategic partnerships and lessons, adding that the conference was in furtherance of the efforts of NAF to meeting contemporary operational demands of the Armed Forces, independently or through multi-agency environment.
In the words of Abubakar; “Our world is changing at an unprecedented pace and the landscape of modern warfare is evolving just as quickly. We are at the intersection of technology, artificial intelligence and network-centric warfare. These elements are the driving forces that would shape the future of the NAF”.
The CAF therefore called for a deep focus on artificial intelligence to revolutionise how the NAF processes data, analyses information and makes informed decisions real-time during operations, stressing that there should be more efforts towards improving investment in state-of-the-art encryption and cybersecurity measures, to secure NAF communications.
He further said; “I enjoin you to look towards the principles of network-centric warfare, which comprises the ability to share data, collaborate seamlessly and coordinate operations across multiple platforms.
“This would enable us build a robust, interoperable network that connects all branches of the military and our allied partners,”he enthused.
Earlier, the Chief of Communication Information System of the NAF, AVM Ibikunle Daramola, said the conference aimed at delivering innovative technology-based solutions to accomplish the missions of the Force.
Daramola said the resolution of the current security challenges in the country required innovative solutions using emerging CIS technologies which could be applied on land, sea, airspace and cyber domains.
He said the core derivative of the conference was to improve the capacity of CIS personnel and reinvigorate existing procedures to enhance NAF’s operational effectiveness.
