Tsaigumi UAV
The Tsaigumi UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed and used by the Nigerian Air Force. It is one of the first UAVs indigenously developed in Nigeria.
History[edit]
Former President Goodluck Jonathan claimed that the Tsaigumi is actually the same as the GULMA drone developed by Nigeria in 2013, and hence not the first domestic Nigerian UAV.[1] Air Vice Marshall Olatokunbo Adesanya disputed this, claiming that the GULMA drone "was not operational", and that the Tsaigumi was thus the first completed Nigerian UAV.[1]
Operations[edit]
Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya stated that the Tsaigumi would be used for operations including disaster monitor, law enforcement, weather forecasting, protecting wildlife, and monitoring Nigeria's exclusive economic zone.[2]
Design[edit]
The Tsaigumi UAV's airframe was built by the 431 Engineering Group of the Nigerian Air Force, with the avionics and telemetry equipment were developed by UAVision of Portugal.[3] The designer was reported to be Nkemdilim Anulika Ofodile, an aerospace engineer in the Nigerian Air Force.[4]
Tsaigumi means 'surveillance' in the local Hausa language. It is a twin-boom UAV spotting a pusher propeller configuration. It is fitted with an Electro-Optical Forward Looking Infra-red System (EO FLIR).
General characteristics[edit]
Crew: 3 Operator (Mission Commander, Pilot, Navigator)
Length: 8.6 m (28 ft)[5]
Wingspan: 6.8 m (22 ft)[5]
Max takeoff weight: 95 kg[4]
Powerplant: 128 kW (172 hp)[5]
Performance[edit]
Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph)[5]
Mission radius: 100 km (62 mi)
Range: 1,000 km (620 mi)
Endurance: 10 hours[4]
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)[3]
Operational altitude: 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Armament[edit]
None
Avionics[edit]
Service history[edit]
The Tsaigumi was formally inducted into service on February 15, 2018.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ugwuanyi, Sylvester (February 16, 2018). "Controversy as Buhari commissions Air Force drone 'earlier launched' by Jonathan". Daily Post.
- ↑ Ugwaunyi, Sylvester (February 17, 2018). "Air force reveals what newly inducted 'Tsaigumi' will be used for". Daily Post.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Binnie, Jeremy (February 16, 2018). "Nigerian Air Force to develop armed UAV". Jane's Information Group.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Taiwo, Shakirudeen (February 18, 2018). "5 things to know about TSAIGUMI - Nigeria's first operational UAV". Pulse NG.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Say Hello to Tsaigumi : Nigeria's new military drone". DefenseNigeria. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ Ukwu, Jerrywright (2018-02-15). "President Buhari arrives Kaduna to induct Air Force Nigerian-made fighting drones". Naija.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
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