News in brief: North and West Africa
The latest defence developments in North and West Africa, as featured in the Blueprint magazine's February 2026 edition
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 "Photo: Leonardo")
Photo: Leonardo
Nigeria gets aerial combat boost
Nigeria is set to acquire M-346FA combat aircraft and AW-109 attack helicopters from Italian defence firm Leonardo in a $1.4 billion deal this year, the Business Insider Africa reported.
The contract includes about 24 jets and 10 helicopters, and the airframes will be delivered throughout 2026. The M-346FA’s strike and surveillance capabilities would be complemented by the AW-109’s enhancement of troop mobility, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, and rapid-response operations.
This acquisition is part of Nigeria’s effort to expand its air force’s operational reach amid internal security crises.
West Africa’s first anti-ship missile
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The Senegalese Navy conducted its maiden trials of an anti-ship missile, Marte MK2/N, from a 58 S-class offshore patrol vessel in late 2025. The missile, produced by the European defence firm MBDA, was fired at a decommissioned CTM landing craft.
Developed by the French firm Piriou, the 62-metre vessel deployed the missile, boasting a strike range of about 30 kilometres (km).
This testing bolsters Senegal’s strategic maritime defence. It also aligns with Naval Strategy 2050, the country’s plan to forge a modern naval capability.
US strikes ISIS in Africa
The United States (US) conducted strikes on the Islamic State group (ISIS) militants in Nigeria’s Sokoto State in December last year, as announced by US President Donald Trump and Nigeria’s information minister. A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper drones, the minister said.
The strikes, launched from maritime platforms stationed in the Gulf of Guinea, involved Nigeria’s armed forces. The country is facing multiple armed conflicts, including a jihadist insurgency since 2009.
Militancy in the Sahel spills over
Insurgency violence by groups linked with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State movement in the Sahel region, especially in countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, is affecting countries along Africa’s western coast, the global conflict monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) noted in its Conflict Watchlist 2026.
ACLED observed the “consolidation of a new front line in the Benin, Niger, and Nigeria borderlands”. It added that Sahelian and Nigerian militancy theatres are gradually integrating, extending from Mali to western Nigeria. Lack of international support and leadership in regional efforts have fuelled the situation.
Morocco orders H225M helicopters
Morocco ordered 10 H225M helicopters from Airbus towards the end of 2025 for its air force’s combat search and rescue operations, according to the company’s media statement. The H225M will be armed with a double hoist installation, searchlight, a Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system, machine guns, and an electronic warfare system. It is suitable for special operations, tactical transport, and medical evacuation, and has a maximum speed of 324 km per hour.
Suicide drones intercepted in Sudan
The Sudanese military intercepted numerous suicide drones of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in January, the Army stated.
The aerial strikes targeted an infantry division’s headquarters, military facilities, and Sudan’s largest dam,
the Merowe Dam.
The army said that all the drones were destroyed beforehand, and that the RSF was executing drone strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.
Written By
Jaisal Kaur
Jaisal Kaur
First Published: Feb 10 2026 | 6:10 AM IST
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