The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), in collaboration with the UNICCON Group of companies recently conducted a live presentation of an integrated drone detection and defence system, showcasing the capabilities of Nigeria’s defence industry.
The demonstration took place at the Jaji Shooting Range in Kaduna on 23 December and encompassed the UNIKAM series of loitering munitions, able to reach speeds of over 200 km/h, and a stationary drone detection, jamming and spoofing system capable of detecting over 40 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) simultaneously up to 8 km away and neutralising threats through precise jamming and spoofing within a 3 km radius.
UNIKAM FPV drone. Photo: UNICCON
“This milestone signals a shift toward African defence self-reliance, moving from the importation of foreign hardware to the development of indigenous, high-spec tactical systems,” UNICCON said.
The company explained that the UNIKAM loitering munition series of multi-rotor kamikaze UAVs have a range of 8-15 km, a flight time of 10-20 minutes, and payload of 2.5 kg. The loitering munitions can be controlled either autonomously, semi-autonomously, or manually through first person view (FPV) goggles.
The Drone Jammer System (DJS – Stationary Type) provides counter-UAV capabilities through real-time detection, tracking, and electronic disruption. It can identify the position, altitude, and speed of over 40 UAVs simultaneously, detecting communications bands from 30 MHz to 6 GHz at up to 8 km. It can jam command-and-control (C2), telemetry, and navigation links in the 900 MHz, 1.5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.2 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and custom Wi-Fi bands at up to 3 km. The system can spoof drones by sending the wrong coordinates. Other features include 24/7 unattended operation, geofencing, and “whitelist/blacklist” functionality to avoid jamming friendly drones.
Drone jammer demonstration. Photo: UNICCON
Also part of the 23 December demonstration was the detonation of a locally produced explosive and warhead. “The demonstration evaluated a high-energy composite munition (explosives) designed for increased pressure build-up and energy confinement,” UNICCON said. The warhead mass can range from 2.22 kg to 200 kg – during the test, a 2.2 kg warhead was detonated, producing an observed blast radius of approximately 200 meters and thermal output exceeding 250°C. A secure radio-frequency based wireless remote detonation system was used from 1.5 km away.
The UNICCON Group of companies has offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom and operates across AI, robotics, drone technology, telemedicine, enterprise software, and education. Its subsidiaries include BabaSky and the DICON-UNICCON joint venture. BabaSky focuses on UAV development, manufacturing, training, and operation while the DICON-UNICCON joint venture focuses on the development of advanced defence technologies, such as unmanned systems.
Professor Chuks Ekwueme, Chairman of the UNICCON Group, speaking during the 23 December demonstration said “UNICCON Group are taking the bull by the horns in the shape of local technology in Nigeria. This was the reason behind forming a joint venture with DICON.”
“We are very big on electronic warfare, which we know is the direction of warfare today. Enemies are improving, they are using drones so we should also be focussing on solutions to counter them because we have to think ahead of the enemy.”
Apart from kamikaze UAVs, UNICCON/BabaSky are working on other custom and long-endurance drones, including fixed wing models.
@DefenceWeb