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Nigerian Army Signals [NAS]

The Nigerian Army [NA] ORBAT 96 Harmonization Committee gives the mission of Nigerian Army Signals [NAS] as “to provide communication for effective command and control of the NA.” The NA Signal slogan;“If you ain’t got communications, you ain’t got nothing” emphasises the importance of communications as a tool for the successful conduct of all military operations in both peace and war. The primary role of NAS is therefore the provision of reliable andeffective communications to the NA in wartime and peacetime. Effective communications ensures that the message received is a close in meaning as possible to the message intended. Effective communication is needed by a commander for the speedy passage and reception of information. The various types of communications provided by NAS include, radiocommunication, dispatch services, switchboard and telephone exchanges.

During the OP LIBERTY and OP SANDSTORM failures to achieve missions and objectives were blamed on lack of effective communications support. The same happened during exercises such as Exercise SEADOG, Exercise EAGLE RING I & II and Exercise TAKUTE EKPE. It was alleged that NAS could not provide effective communications during the exercises.

In the Nigerian Army (NA), Nigerian Army Signals (NAS) is responsible for the provision and maintenance of communications.Communications within the divisions, brigades, battalions, companies, platoons and sections as well as other combat, combat support arms and services are the responsibilities of NAS. It also provides Electronic Warfare (EW) facilities and applies them in support of the NA. In addition, it provides communication support to training establishments in the NA and advises armsand services in the NA on communication matters. NAS is also responsible for the research, development and trial of communication equipment and gives advice on future communication equipment requirements and carries outliaison with civil communication agencies. It is also responsible for the repairsand maintenance of all communication equipment in the NA inventory.

The combat net radios (CNR) are the primary means of communicationsin the NA. The various types available in the NAS inventory are of the High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF), and Ultra High Frequency (UHF). Some of these radios were acquired in the early 1970s, hence they are analogue equipment. There are also some HF base and vehicular radios. Signal Dispatch Service (SDS) is used for the delivery of bulky messages and correspondence in the NA between formations and units within aspecified time. SDS is provided through Air Dispatch Services (ADS), Motor Dispatch Services (MDS), and Dispatch Rider (DR) for local deliveries of messages.

NAS has provided communicationssupport to the NA during exercises, such as Exercise SEADOG in 1985, Eagle Ring 1 & 11 in 1997 and 1998 respectively, and Exercise TAKUTE EKPE in 2004, among others. It has also supported the numerous Internal Security (IS) operations in which the NA has been involved. It provided communications for OP FLUSH OUT I and OP FLUSH OUT II in the Northern part of Nigeria, OP HARMONY in the former disputed Bakassi Peninsula and OP RESTORE HOPE in the Niger Delta. The peace enforcement operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone called OP LIBERTY and OP SANDSTORM respectively were supported by NAS. NAS is, at present, providing communications support to the NA peace support operations in Dafur, Sudan, under the auspices of the African Union (AU). NAS alsoprovided communications support during the 1999 and 2003 Nigeria Elections to the NA in aid of civil authorities.

NAS is organized into 4 specialized commands. These commands are 55 Signals Command (55SC), 56 Signals Command (56SC), 57 Signals Command (57SC) and 58 Signals Command (58SC). They are all located in Lagos. It also has 5 Division Signals (DS) each located with its organic division of the NA. It supervises the NA System Development Centre (NASDC) administratively and operationally.

• 55 Signals Command [55 SC] is the Communication Command of theNA. It operates the communication centers and handles radio and lines of communications for the AHQ. It is also responsible for the delivery of mails to formations and units. The command can provide strategic communicationssupport to the NA if adequately equipped using the microwave, satellite andcomputer based communication network.
• 56 Signals Command [56 SC] is the Operations Command whichprovides communication support to the NA exercises and operations. The command uses the Radio Link Shelters (RLS) and the Staff Shelters (SS). It is also capable of providing communication support for joint exercises with NN and NAF.
• 57 Signals Command [57 SC] is the Maintenance Command thatprovides Divisions and AHQ level repairs for all communication equipment and their ancillaries in the NA. It could carry out base repairs on most of theradios if adequately equipped.
• 58 Signals Command [58 SC] is the command that coordinates all the EW matters in the NA. The command was established with the main purposeof dominating the electromagnetic spectrum in a specified AOR or theatre by locating enemy's position, monitor its communications, reduce its ability tocommunicate effectively and prevent it from interfering with own communications. This command is capable of discharging its responsibility adequately if equipped properly.
• Division Signals [DS] provides wartime and peacetime communications to their respective divisions of the NA. Each of them is capable of providing strategic and operational communications, EW, and mail delivery services within its Area of Responsibility (AOR). However, the equipment holding of each DS varies slightly according to the ORBAT of its supported division. The DS also coordinates the activities of the brigade signals within its AOR. A brigade signals provides communication support to its organic brigade headquarters and their battalions.
• Nigerian Army System Development Centre [NASDC] is one of the research outfits of the NA. It has a primary task of carrying out research into the development of secure communications systems in the NA. It also has the capacity to design and produce Printed Circuits Boards (PCB), consumer electronics and electrical appliances. It has researched into local production of crypto equipment. NASDC is directly under the AHQ Department of Army Policy and Plans (DAPP) but supervised by HQ NAS for administrative and operational purposes.

In NAS, there are specially Fitted For Radio (FFR) communication vehicles. They are used for mobile communications for motorized units and operations. The fleet of these vehicles has depleted over the years. Byestablishment, NAS is supposed to have 1,217 FFRs. As of 2007 NAS had 173 FFR in its inventory and all were awaiting re-trofitting because they were not serviceable. The NAS Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) 2001, and HQNAS return to AHQ by September 2006 revealed a state of readiness of NAS in terms of radios to be 10% of combat net radios (CNR). NAS establishment number of radios is 3,794. However NAS has only 378 holding of radios. In addition to the obsolete nature of the radios, the spare parts for maintaining them are not available.

NAS personnel undergo various courses at Nigerian Army School of Signals (NASS), in Apapa, Lagos. Though NASS has the capacity to train officers and soldiers of the NA, but the equipment and other training facilities in the training school are obsolete. The NA ORBAT 1996 approved 625 officers and 6,217 soldiers making a total strength of 6,842 as the manpower requirement of NAS. However the manpower state in NAS was 2,671 or 39% of the establishment as at December 2006.