Type | State-owned enterprise |
---|---|
Industry | Defence |
Founded | 1964[1] |
Headquarters | Kaduna, , |
Area served | Nigeria |
Products | Munitions, Small arms, Artillery, Explosives, Armored vehicles MRAPs |
Services | Manufacturing |
Owner | Nigerian Armed Forces |
Website | dicon.gov.ng |
Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) [2] is the state-run defense corporation of Nigeria and operated by the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is responsible for the production of defense equipment and civilian products.
DICON was established in 1964 through an act of parliament in the Nigerian National Assembly. [3]
From 2018 to March 2021, Major General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu was appointed as DICON's director-general. [4]
Major General MO Uzoh was appointed DG in March 2021.
It makes licensed copies of the Mills M36M (M36) handgrenade, Browning P-35 (NP-1) pistol, Beretta M12 (PMG-12) submachine gun, Beretta BM59 and FN FAL (NR1 Model 7.62) battle rifles, FN MAG (GPMG) machinegun, and RPG-7 (RPG) rocket launcher. The OBJ-006, a copy of the 7.62mm AK-47 assault rifle, is produced by DICON in 2006. [5]
DICON has recently procured rights to manufacture a copy of the Polish FB 5.56mm Kbs wz.96 Beryl assault rifle, possibly to replace the FAL and/or AK-47 in service. [6]
From 2012 to 2019, DICON and Marom Dolphin signed an agreement to establish a joint venture to produce ballistic vests. [7] In 2013, DICON officials denied allegations that Nigerian-made ballistic vests from DICON factories are made under substandard conditions. [8] After the contract expiration with Marom Dolphin, DICON Special Equipment was birthed, which is a collaboration between DICON and Imperium Industries Nig. Ltd.
The DICON Special Equipment specializes in the production of bulletproof vests, Helmets, Coveralls, Uniforms and other related items.
On October 3, 2019, DICON unveiled its first armored vehicle, known as the Ezugwu MRAP. [9] The MRAP was made in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot. [9] It was named after Major General Victor Ezugwu, who was known for his efforts in fighting against Boko Haram, [10] who is the director-general of DICON at the end of 2018. [11] [12] This was publicly shown in a ceremony by Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai at the Abuja International Trade Fair Complex during a Nigerian Army Day event. [9]
In the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, DICON has produced ventilators, face shields, face masks and hand sanitizers. [13]
The FN FAL is a battle rifle designed in Belgium in 1953 by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal.
The Heckler & Koch G3 is a 7.62×51mm NATO, select-fire battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (HK) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales (CETME). The modular designed G3 has over the years been exported to over 70 countries and manufactured under licence in at least 15 countries, bringing the total number built to around 7,800,000.
A battle rifle is a semi-automatic or select fire service rifle chambered to fire a full-power rifle cartridge and a internal box magazine or detachable box magazine. The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to better differentiate the intermediate-power rifle cartridge assault rifles from full-powered rifles as both classes of modern firearms have a similar appearance and share many of the same features such as detachable magazines, pistol grips, separate upper and lower receivers etc. Battle rifles were most prominent from the 1940s to the 1970s, when they were used as service rifles. While modern battle rifles largely resemble modern assault rifle designs, which replaced battle rifles in most roles, the term may also describe older military full-power semi-automatic rifles such as the M1 Garand, SVT-40, Gewehr 41, Gewehr 43, Type 4, FN Model 1949, and MAS-49.
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The SS2 is a replacement for the Pindad SS1 created by Pindad. It had been seen during the ASEAN Army Rifles contest by foreign media in 2006 aside from exposure by local Indonesian media.
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Lewis Machine and Tool Company (LMT) is an American armaments company founded by Karl Lewis, in 1980. LMT manufactures weapon systems including a variant of the M4 carbine and the M203 grenade launcher. LMT products are used by the military forces of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Estonia, and the United States. LMT formerly produced forged FAL receivers for Illinois-based DS Arms.
The AK-12, "Avtomat Kalashnikova, 2012" is a Russian assault rifle chambered in 5.45×39mm designed and manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern, making it the fifth generation of Kalashnikov rifles.
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First Win is a mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle with an all-welded steel monocoque V-hull that provides high level protection against a variety of battlefield threats, including mines and improvised explosive devices. Gross vehicle weight is about nine tonnes and it can carry up to 10 troops plus driver.
Military Industries Corporation is a state-owned enterprise in Saudi Arabia founded in 1953. MIC became a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) in 2017 following its founding. Based in Riyadh, the MIC manufactures armaments and develops Saudi Arabia's military arsenal through technology transfer and research and development.
Multi Calibre Individual Weapon System (MCIWS) is an assault rifle developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment, a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It was first seen at the DEFEXPO 2014 exhibition.
Ratnik is a Russian future infantry combat system. Some components, including the communication systems and night vision technologies, have extremely limited military distribution. It is designed to improve the connectivity and combat effectiveness of combat personnel in the Russian Armed Forces. Improvements include modernised body armour, a helmet with a special eye monitor, communication systems, and special headphones. It includes 10 subsystems and 59 individual items.
Fabricaciones Militares, the full name is Fabricaciones Militares Sociedad del Estado, is a state-owned Argentine arms manufacturer based in Buenos Aires. The company was a government agency under the name Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares.
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The Malyuk, sometimes referred to as the Vulcan-M, is an assault rifle developed by the Ukrainian arms company Interproinvest (IPI).