Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, recently unveiled two state-of-the-art unmanned water vessels named S2 and S3 Swift Sea Stalkers.
The generous donation from the renowned Swift Ship Company in the United States aims to bolster the country’s efforts in combating insecurity along its waterways.
Henshaw Ogubike, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Defence, conveyed this significant development in a statement released on Friday, December 5.
During the presentation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Matawalle informed President Bola Tinubu that these cutting-edge technologies are destined for deployment in ongoing security operations, particularly in regions such as the Niger Delta, Lake Chad, and other maritime areas across the country.
The statement highlighted that Matawalle regarded the donation as one of the positive outcomes of his recent working visit to the United States.
The visit, aimed at promoting innovative technologies, sought to enhance the efficiency of the Nigerian military in addressing contemporary security challenges.
Additionally, Matawalle expressed the intention to foster partnerships with U.S. companies for the local production of military hardware in collaboration with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Part of the newfound partnership’s objectives is to enable Nigeria to learn innovative methods of military hardware production, aligning with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s agenda to bring peace and security to the nation. During his visit to the U.S., Matawalle inspected facilities that included a rapid deployment mobile RADAR system, unmanned water vehicles, drone ground control stations, and compact biometric search-scan systems, among other advanced technologies.
The statement reiterated that the Minister assured President Tinubu that the advanced military and intelligence hardware capabilities presented would significantly contribute to the ongoing efforts in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria. The Swift Sea Stalkers represent a milestone in the country’s pursuit of cutting-edge technology to safeguard its maritime interests and ensure the safety of its waterways.
