The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, on Friday directed the Defence Space Administration to extend its space-based intelligence support to military operations in the North-West and North-Central regions.

Oluyede said the directive would extend the support currently provided to Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East to Operation Fansan Yamma in the North-West and Operation Savannah Shield in the North-Central.

He gave the directive during the Defence Space Administration Day celebration in Abuja, where he commended the agency for its contributions to military operations through space-based intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

“As we speak now, they are supporting Operation Hadin Kai, and I have given instructions that they should extend that to Operation Fansan Yamma in the North-West and Operation Savannah Shield in the North-Central,” he said.

The CDS said the expansion was necessary to strengthen operational effectiveness and enable troops to better dominate their areas of operation amid the changing nature of modern warfare.

According to him, the administration had made significant progress in providing specialised support to military commanders, urging it to build on its achievements and improve its capacity to meet the operational needs of the armed forces.

Oluyede highlighted the importance of space-based assets in contemporary warfare, stressing the need for sustained investment in indigenous research, innovation and human capital development.

He urged the DSA to strengthen collaboration with academic institutions, industries and relevant national agencies to develop resilient space capabilities in support of national security.

The defence chief also called for continuous research and development, noting that systems must be developed, tested in the field and modified to suit operational requirements while remaining compatible with existing military structures and equipment.

He commended the DSA for its achievements, including the launch of DARSAT-1, the establishment of the Special Intelligence Infrastructure and the Modular Earth Observation Outpost at the headquarters of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai.

According to him, the initiatives have strengthened Nigeria’s space defence architecture and brought specialised support closer to operational commanders, enhancing informed decision-making.

Earlier, the Chief of Defence Space Administration, in his welcome address, said modern warfare was increasingly determined by the ability to acquire timely intelligence, maintain situational awareness, communicate securely and coordinate operations across multiple domains.

He said the DSA, established on October 9, 2014, had progressively developed capabilities to support the operational requirements of the armed forces and other security agencies. (Weekend Trust)