Editing Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (section)

===Nigeria===
[[File:Nigerian Air Force Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet Iwelumo-2.jpg|thumb|Nigerian Alpha Jet at [[Old Kaduna Airport]], [[Kaduna State]], Nigeria, 2012]]
In 1990, four Alpha Jets of the [[Nigerian Air Force]] were deployed in support of [[Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group]] (ECOMOG) forces stationed in [[Liberia]], which were engaged in combat with the [[National Patriotic Front of Liberia]] (NPFL) following an international intervention in the [[First Liberian Civil War|Liberian Civil War]]. In a series of strikes, these aircraft targeted and launched successful attacks upon [[Charles Taylor (Liberian politician)|Charles Taylor]]'s HQ, rebel convoys and shipping, and gun emplacements at [[Roberts International Airport]]; the results of their intervention was judged by ''[[The New York Times]]'' to have given ECOMOG forces a decisive advantage in fire power.<ref name = "ECOMOG">{{cite journal|title=ECOMOG Air Operations During The Liberian Civil War. An Official Overview of the Early Phases; 1,000 Sorties Flown October 1992-July 1993|journal=Defense Studies Journal|date=1996|issue=Special Issue on ECOMOG|url=https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/ecomog-air-operations-during-the-liberian-civil-war-a-brief-overview/|access-date=2016-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304211203/https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/ecomog-air-operations-during-the-liberian-civil-war-a-brief-overview/|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/liberia/ "Waging War to Keep the Peace: The ECOMOG Intervention and Human Rights."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621094806/https://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/liberia/ |date=2016-06-21 }} ''Human Rights Watch'', June 1993. Volume 5, Issue No. 6.</ref>

In 1992, six Nigerian Alpha Jets were placed directly under ECOMOG command, and employed against the NPLF in an extensive campaign of air strikes, road interdictions missions, anti-shipping sorties, and night raids (a task which the Alpha Jet was not normally equipped to perform).  They were even employed to deny access to key bridges in order to give ECOMOG ground forces time to capture them before they were sabotaged. In total, Alpha Jets flew approximately 3,000 combat missions in support of ECOMOG, sustaining no losses but incurring some damage from anti-aircraft artillery.<ref name = "ECOMOG"/><ref>Adebajo 2002, p. 82.</ref>

In 2013, Nigeria began taking steps to bring its Alpha Jet fleet back into service, upgrading 13 of the original 24 into serviceable condition, due to an urgent need for strike aircraft to participate in air support missions for [[counterinsurgency]] operations against [[Boko Haram]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Photo Newsreel: Nigerian Air Force Reinduct 9 Alpha Jets and a C130 Hercules|url=https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/photo-newsreel-nigerian-air-force-reinduct-9-alpha-jet-and-a-c130-hercules/|website=Beegeagle's Blog|date=30 November 2013|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309234707/https://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/photo-newsreel-nigerian-air-force-reinduct-9-alpha-jet-and-a-c130-hercules/|archive-date=9 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2016, Nigerian car manufacturer [[Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing]] (IVM) signed a supply agreement with the Nigerian Air Force to produce components and various spare parts for the Alpha Jet.<ref>Monks, Kieron. [https://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/23/africa/innoson-nigeria-jet-parts/ "Nigeria's first car maker takes to the skies in fighter jets."]  ''CNN'', 30 March 2016.</ref><ref>Karls Tsokar, Abuja. [http://guardian.ng/news/local-firm-produces-spare-parts-for-naf-fighter-pharmacist/ "Local firm produces spare parts for NAF fighter Pharmacist."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813042545/http://guardian.ng/news/local-firm-produces-spare-parts-for-naf-fighter-pharmacist/ |date=2016-08-13 }} ''The Guardian'', 11 February 2016.</ref> In 2015, Nigeria ordered four additional aircraft from the United States; these aircraft had been de-militarized and prepared for civilian operations, however Nigeria had reportedly returned two of these to an unspecified armed configuration by early 2016.<ref>Binnie, Jeremy. [http://www.janes.com/article/57499/nigeria-re-militarises-two-alpha-jets "Nigeria re-militarises two Alpha Jets."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302170606/http://www.janes.com/article/57499/nigeria-re-militarises-two-alpha-jets |date=2016-03-02 }} ''IHS Jane's Defence Weekly'', 27 January 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nigerian Air Force receiving additional Alpha Jets|url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38540:nigerian-air-force-receiving-additional-alpha-jets&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107|website=DefenseWeb|date = 26 March 2015|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131171029/http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38540:nigerian-air-force-receiving-additional-alpha-jets&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107|archive-date=31 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Mutum, Ronald. [http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/air-force-refits-training-aircraft-for-combat-mission/130763.html "Air Force refits training aircraft for combat mission."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722072157/http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/air-force-refits-training-aircraft-for-combat-mission/130763.html |date=2016-07-22 }} ''Daily Trust'', 26 January 2016.</ref>

The restored Alpha Jet force has been routinely employed in combat air patrols, and has conducted multiple air strikes against Boko Haram militants over a number of years. In September 2014, multiple Alpha Jets conducted a large number of aerial bombardment missions over and around the area of [[Bama, Nigeria|Bama]], [[Borno State]], during the fight to regain the city following the withdrawal of friendly ground forces.<ref>[http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/168114-nigeria-military-aircraft-bombing-boko-haram-missing.html "Nigeria military aircraft bombing Boko Haram missing."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601024049/http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/168114-nigeria-military-aircraft-bombing-boko-haram-missing.html |date=2016-06-01 }} ''Premium Times'', 14 September 2014.</ref> In early October 2014, Boko Haram released a video containing the [[decapitation]] of who they claimed was a captured Nigerian Air Force pilot of a downed Alpha Jet.<ref>[http://africanspotlight.com/2014/10/05/video-boko-haram-terrorists-behead-nigerian-airforce-pilot-viewers-discretion/ "VIDEO: Boko Haram terrorists behead Nigerian Airforce Pilot (Viewer's discretion)."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806100053/http://africanspotlight.com/2014/10/05/video-boko-haram-terrorists-behead-nigerian-airforce-pilot-viewers-discretion/ |date=2016-08-06 }} ''African Spotlight'', 5 October 2014.</ref> In March 2016, attacks performed by Nigerian Alpha Jets had reportedly dislodged Boko Haram fighters from [[Sambisa Forest]], [[Borno State]].<ref>Lauya, Adbul. [http://www.authorityngr.com/2016/03/NAF-Alpha-jets-dislodge-Boko-Haram-terrorists-from-Sambisa-forest "NAF Alpha jets dislodge Boko Haram terrorists from Sambisa forest."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021045544/http://www.authorityngr.com/2016/03/NAF-Alpha-jets-dislodge-Boko-Haram-terrorists-from-Sambisa-forest |date=2016-10-21 }} ''The Authority'', 26 March 2016.</ref>

On 31 March 2021, a Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet (NAF475) went missing near [[Borno State]] in northeastern Nigeria while carrying out air support for Nigerian troops fighting against Boko Haram, both pilots were missing,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lionel|first=Ekene|date=April 1, 2021|title=Nigerian air force alpha jet lost during counter terror operations|url=https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/04/nigerian-air-force-alpha-jet-lost-during-counter-terror-operations|url-status=live|website=Military Africa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401150436/https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/04/nigerian-air-force-alpha-jet-lost-during-counter-terror-operations |archive-date=2021-04-01 }}</ref> presumed dead. A video was released claiming to show the jet being shot down, however the video was evidently doctored including previous clips from Syria. The Nigerian Air Force attributed the crash to an accident, pending further investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/nigerian-air-force-says-missing-alpha-jet-was-not-shot-down|title = Nigerian Air Force says missing Alpha Jet was not shot down| date=5 April 2021 }}</ref> However the video showed Boko Haram fighters at the crash site and remains of the pilots.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/03/africa/nigeria-military-plane-reports-intl/index.html|title = Blast in video of purported shootdown of Nigerian military plane is fake, analysis shows| date=3 April 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/media-56613253|title = Nigerian Airforce say no be Boko Haram shoot down Alpha Jet aircraft wey crash|newspaper = BBC News Pidgin}}</ref>

On 18 July 2021, in a rare occurrence of a military jet downed by a criminal organization, an Alpha jet was shot down after conducting an interdiction mission on the border of the states of Zamfara and Kaduna against criminal gangs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lionel|first=Ekene|date=21 July 2020|title=Military Africa|url=https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/07/nigerian-air-force-lose-another-alpha-jet-pilot-rescued|url-status=live|website=Military Africa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720074909/https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/07/nigerian-air-force-lose-another-alpha-jet-pilot-rescued |archive-date=2021-07-20 }}</ref> The military blamed intense fire from armed gangs for the shoot down. The pilot ejected and returned to an Army base, after evading capture.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ewokor|first=Chris|date= |title=Nigeria fighter plane shot down by bandits - military|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57893662|work=[[BBC]]|location= |access-date=19 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/07/nigerian-air-force-lose-another-alpha-jet-pilot-rescued|title=Nigerian Air Force lose another Alpha Jet, pilot rescued|date=20 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailytrust.com/ali-kachalla-unveiling-the-zamfara-terror-kingpin-who-downed-naf-jet|title = Ali Kachalla: Unveiling the Zamfara terror kingpin who downed NAF jet|date = 2 August 2021}}</ref>