Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation (DICON), working in partnership with the UNICCON Group, has demonstrated an integrated counter-drone detection and defense system, highlighting growing indigenous capabilities within the country’s defense sector.
The live demonstration was held on December 23 at the Jaji Shooting Range in Kaduna and featured both offensive and defensive unmanned systems developed under the DICON-UNICCON collaboration. Central to the event was the UNIKAM family of loitering munitions alongside a stationary counter-UAS system designed to detect, jam and spoof hostile drones.
According to UNICCON, the UNIKAM loitering munition series consists of multi-rotor “kamikaze” drones capable of speeds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour. The systems have an operational range of 8 to 15 kilometers, endurance of 10 to 20 minutes and can carry payloads of up to 2.5 kilograms. They can be operated autonomously, semi-autonomously or manually using first-person-view goggles.
Counter-UAS capabilities
The counter-drone element of the demonstration included the Drone Jammer System (DJS), a stationary electronic warfare solution designed for continuous protection of fixed sites. The system can detect, track and identify more than 40 drones simultaneously at ranges of up to 8 kilometers, monitoring communications across a wide spectrum from 30 MHz to 6 GHz.
Once a threat is identified, the system can neutralize drones through jamming or spoofing within a 3-kilometer radius by disrupting command-and-control, telemetry and navigation links. Additional features include geofencing, unattended 24/7 operation and whitelist and blacklist functions to prevent interference with friendly drones.
Also showcased during the event was the detonation of a locally produced explosive warhead, developed as part of Nigeria’s domestic munitions effort. UNICCON said the test evaluated a high-energy composite explosive designed to improve pressure and energy confinement. A 2.2-kilogram warhead was detonated during the trial, generating an estimated blast radius of around 200 meters and temperatures exceeding 250 degrees Celsius, using a secure radio-frequency remote detonation system from a distance of 1.5 kilometers.
UNICCON described the demonstration as a step toward greater African defense self-reliance, emphasizing a shift away from imported systems toward locally developed technologies. The company operates in Nigeria and the United Kingdom and is active across artificial intelligence, robotics, unmanned systems and other technology sectors. Its defense activities are carried out through BabaSky, which focuses on UAV development and operations and the DICON-UNICCON joint venture dedicated to advanced defense technologies.
Speaking at the event, UNICCON Group Chairman Professor Chuks Ekwueme said the partnership with DICON was driven by the need to develop indigenous solutions, particularly in electronic warfare and counter-drone technologies.
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Post Image Credit: UNICCON
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