Nigerian Air force to build bomb diffusing robot

The Nigerian Air Force
has begun a process of
developing a robot
capable of detonating
high calibre bomb.
Air Vice Marshal John
Oshoniyi, the
commandant of the
NAF Institute of
Technology, Kaduna,
disclosed this at a pre-
graduation press
conference in Kaduna on
Monday.
He added that the
institute had also
developed an Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle for
surveillance and
intelligence gathering
which could assist
government in a crisis-
prone areas of the
country.
According to Oshoniyi,
the robot, when
completed, would be of
great assistance to
government in checking
the series of bombing
across the country by
terrorist groups.
He explained that the
robot required no
human being to be
physically present at
the scene of bomb
before the detonation
of a bomb.
Speaking on the
Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle codenamed
"Amebo", which he
claimed to be the first
in the continent, the
commandant said its
development was borne
out of President
Goodluck Jonathan's
transformation agenda.
"AFIT has, for the past
few years, been
focusing on defence–
related Research and
Development activities
as part of its
contributions to the
realisation of Mr.
President’s vision,"
Oshoniyi said.
"It is pertinent to note
that following the
successful launch of our
Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle-Amebo II last
year, a modified and
much improved version
of the codenamed
'Amebo III' was
produced and exhibited
during the recently
concluded Air Expo 2012,
organised by the
Nigerian Air Force. This
latest version is
awaiting test flight.
"In furtherance of our
research efforts, the
institute has been
attracting interest from
overseas companies
who are seeking to
collaborate in the area
of the Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle development."
He added that the
Brazilian Air Force had
given approval for its
equivalent of AFIT to
collaborate with NAF,
especially in the areas
of research ideas and
staff development.
"All these collaborative
efforts are geared
towards repositioning
the Nigerian Air Force
for sustained
employment of air
power, in the realisation
of the vision of the
current Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshal
Mohammed Dikko
Umar," he said.
"It is equally worth
mentioning that some
state governments
have indicated their
interest in partnering
with the institute
towards manpower
development for the
respective states."