Our Reporter
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said production of the first set of Mines Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles by the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot in Kaduna is at 80 per cent completion.
Buratai stated this yesterday during the inspection of work at the depot at Rigachikun in Kaduna State.
He said the decision to go into local production of combat vehicles, nicknamed: Ezugwu MRAP, was meant to deploy local content and technology to support army operations.
The Army chief said the first set of MRAPs would be rolled out soon, adding that the vehicles were being produced with 100 per cent local engineers of the army.
He said the vehicles were also made of over 70 per cent local content in collaboration with the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
“I am very much satisfied with the level of work on Ezugwu MRAP, and this is our flagship vehicle for the infantry and, of course, the army for now.
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“The progress is quite impressive and we hope to display them very soon during the COAS Conference. I will be here again before we finally role them out.
“As I have been briefed, it is up to 80 per cent of the 10 they intend to produce immediately and it is a good number.
“They will soon be inaugurated. Once they are formally inaugurated, we will launch them, operationalise them in our available theatres of operation.
“They are going to influence our operations not only in the Northeast but across the country. In fact, even if we get any external challenge, this vehicle will be very useful,” he said.
Buratai described the initiative as a revolution in military affairs, its operations, training, general administration and technical know-how.
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