Tsaigumi UAV: Nigerian Air Force develops new drone.

Tsaigumi UAV: The new  Tsaigumi UAV was built by the Nigerian Air Force aerospace engineers, inducted by the Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari GCON 

The new  Tsaigumi UAV was built by the Nigerian Air Force aerospace engineers

It appears that the Nigerian Air Force aerospace engineers have designed and manufactured a new class of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) called Tsaigumi Unmanned aerial vehicle. This was revealed on the Nigerian Air Force website on FEBRUARY 6, 2018.

Tsaigumi UAV Design

The new  Tsaigumi UAV was built by the Nigerian Air Force aerospace engineers and was unveiled on February 15th at the Nigerian Air Force Base Kaduna. Tsaigumi means 'surveillance' in the local Hausa dialect. 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).

Induction ceremony for the Tsaigumi UAV

Responding to online Request for Information (RFI) the NAF Spokesman AVM OA Adesanya revealed that the newly developed Tsaigumi UAV is the first NAF's 'operational' indigenous UAV which might indicate that the  Tsaigumi UAV would be deployed operationally in a combat theater.

Nigerian made Gulma UAV 

Tsaigumi Ground Control Station (GCS)

The Tsaigumi UAV has an uncanny resemblance to the previous Gulma drone which itself looks like the Amebo drone. Gulma and Amebo most likely acted as a testbed for further Research and Development (R&D) into UAV development.

He further stated that the Tsaigumi UAV would be used in the restive North-East combat zone.

In May 27 2014, the NAF PR & Information Director, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, told news media that the Gulma could not be used in the restive North Eastern Nigeria due to difficulties in mass producing it. He also said that the Gulma operators were still undergoing training.

Nigerian Air Force CAIC CH-3 UAV

Tsaigumi UAV Role

The roles envisioned for the Tsaigumi UAV includes:

• Policing Operations
• Disaster Management
• Convoy Protection
• Maritime Patrol
• Infrastructure Monitoring
• Border Patrol
• Search and Rescue
• ISR
• Geo-Spatial Mapping
• Wildlife Protection
• Weather Forecast
• Telecast

Nigeria has a history of operating UAV's, the country is one of the first in Africa to induct armed drones into active service. Other UAV in Nigerian service includes:

1. Israeli Aerostar (grounded as of 2015)
2. CASC CH-3 UCAV
3. Nigerian-made Amebo drone
4. Nigerian-made Ichokwu UCAV
5. Nigerian-made Gulma drone
6. DJI Phantom-4 drone
7. Yahbon Flash UAV (ordered)

Tsaigumi UAV Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: 3 Operator (Mission Commander, Pilot, Navigator)

Length: 

Wingspan: 5.16 m

Height:

Max takeoff weight: 95kg

Powerplant:

Performance

Maximum speed: 

Mission radius: 100km

Range: 1000km

Endurance: 10 hours

Service ceiling: 15,000ft

Operational altitude: 5,000ft

Armament

none

Avionics

• Day/Night EO FLIR
• GPS
• INS