The Nigerian Air Force has launched a dedicated training programme for its personnel on the 612A Anti-UAV Radar System, a move aimed at countering the rising threat of hostile drones in the country’s security operations. The initiative began with an inauguration ceremony on 26 July 2025 at the Headquarters of the Air Component for Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri, Borno State.
This specialised course targets selected air force members, providing them with the skills needed to detect, follow, and disable unmanned aerial vehicles in environments marked by asymmetric warfare. While the 612A designation does not match any publicly known counter-drone radar, it appears to be a system recently acquired by Nigeria and renamed in line with the military’s practice of customising labels for new equipment, possibly to reflect local operational needs or classification protocols.
Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, the Chief of the Air Staff, has positioned this training as part of a broader push to embrace cutting-edge tools in contemporary conflicts. He stressed the need for participants to grasp both the conceptual and hands-on elements of the system, expecting top performance to boost the air force’s overall readiness. Air Commodore UU Idris, the Air Component Commander for Operation Hadin Kai, called the programme well-timed, pointing to the growing deployment of improvised drones by opponents in the region. He noted how these devices have disrupted standard air and land defence tactics, underscoring the value of improved detection to maintain awareness and respond effectively.
This development responds to a pattern of drone-related incidents that have tested Nigerian forces. In December 2024, Boko Haram militants struck two bases in the North-East using swarms of drones rigged to explode on contact, wounding five soldiers. The first assault targeted a forward operating base in Wajiroko, Borno State, on 24 December, followed by another in Yobe State, where four armed drones dropped homemade grenades. Similar events occurred in Damaturu, Yobe State, and Abadam near Lake Chad, though troops managed to fend them off. These attacks signal a shift in insurgent methods, with groups like the Islamic State West Africa Province—a Boko Haram offshoot since 2014—employing drones not just for strikes but also for scouting, monitoring, and spreading messages.
The spread of drones across Africa stems from their falling costs and easy availability, coupled with weak rules in many nations that fail to curb misuse. Vast landscapes, from deserts to dense forests, complicate efforts to spot and stop them, giving non-state groups an edge. Governments and security bodies have ramped up investments in countermeasures, including radars for detection and jammers or interceptors to bring them down. Yet, numerous African armed forces struggle to deploy sufficient anti-drone tools, leaving gaps that expose troops to new risks.
For Nigeria, existing systems offer some protection but fall short against small, low-flying drones. The air force uses the ST-68U Tin Shield, a medium-range 3D radar from the Warsaw Pact era, capable of spotting low-altitude targets amid clutter and bad weather. It employs a phased array antenna with four frequencies for elevation coverage, tracking up to 128 targets and guiding 32 simultaneously, with built-in diagnostics.
However, its age limits effectiveness against modern, agile drones. On the ground, the Nigerian Army employs the PGSR-3i Beagle from Hungary’s Pro Patria Electronics, a licensed version of Israel’s Foxtrack by Elbit Systems. This portable radar, at 30 kilograms, detects pedestrians at eight kilometres, vehicles at 24 kilometres, with three-metre accuracy at three kilometres. Operating in X-band with continuous wave emission over 32 frequencies, it classifies targets by size and motion, scanning sectors up to 350 degrees or full circles at varying speeds, handling over 50 tracks. It integrates with networks via RS-485, WiFi, or Ethernet, running on batteries for 10 to 12 hours in temperatures from -32 to +50 degrees Celsius.
The army also fields the EDM4S SkyWiper from Lithuania’s NT Service, a portable electronic warfare unit unveiled in 2019 that jams drone signals for telemetry, control, and navigation, paired with the Wingman detector for comprehensive coverage against small to medium UAVs. Additionally, Thales Ground Observer 12 radars, delivered in 2019, provide Ku-band pulse-Doppler surveillance for battlefield, border, and site monitoring, suitable for a range of military and civilian uses.
Looking ahead, progress in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensors promises more adaptive anti-drone defences. Algorithms analysing flight behaviours could spot threats instantly, while fused sensors like radars and cameras improve identification, cutting false positives. Autonomous systems might then jam, net, or hijack drones, allowing quick, precise interventions. For Nigeria, this training on the 612A system fits into these trends, equipping forces to stay ahead in a battlespace where drones increasingly dictate outcomes. As insurgents refine their tactics, such measures become essential to protect personnel, infrastructure, and territorial integrity.