By Emmanuel Obisue
The United States has given the green light for a $346 million arms sale to Nigeria, in a deal designed to strengthen Abuja’s fight against terrorism and illicit trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to details from the US State Department, the Nigerian request includes:
- 1,000+ MK-82 (500 lb) general-purpose bombs. These are high-explosive munitions capable of delivering devastating impact on hardened or strategic targets.
- 5,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS). Laser-guided rockets for pinpoint strikes with minimal collateral damage.
- Laser-guided bomb kits to enable standard bombs to be converted into precision-guided munitions.
- High-explosive rockets for use in close air support and anti-materiel roles.
- Technical personnel services. The US will provide support to ensure training, maintenance, and operational readiness of the supplied systems.
Washington says the sale will “improve Nigeria’s capability to meet current and future threats through operations against terrorist organisations,” including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Heritage Times HT reports that the Mk-82 bombs in the package, weighing about 500 pounds each, are standard general-purpose munitions widely used by the US and allied forces. When paired with Paveway II laser guidance kits, they become precision-guided bombs with meter-class accuracy, making them effective for surgical strikes against strategic or fortified targets while reducing the risk of collateral damage.
This same class of munitions has been employed in numerous modern conflicts, including the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Yemen war.
The APKWS II systems, also included in the deal, convert standard 70 mm Hydra rockets into precision-guided weapons by adding a WGU-59/B laser guidance section.
They are valued for their accuracy, low collateral impact, and versatility across platforms, from helicopters and fighter jets to ground-based launchers.
In recent years, APKWS rockets have seen active use in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ukraine, where they have been deployed for precision ground strikes and to intercept drones and cruise missiles.
This development comes as Nigeria intensifies military campaigns in the northeast, with Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar recently confirming the elimination of 592 terrorists in Borno State over the past eight months.
With fresh precision munitions inbound, the air campaign is expected to become faster, more surgical, and more lethal against high-value insurgent targets.
