Dozens of Russian military advisors have started arriving in Niger.
According to media reports they have also arrived with a state-of-the-art air defence system and will also install system and train local soldiers how to use it.
Niger is currently governed by a military junta which is looking to have closer ties with Russia, rather than its traditional allies in the West, such as the former colonial power, France.
Analysts said it was not clear why the country needed a new air defence system as the jihadists that the country were fighting did not have air combat capability. However, there was speculation that it could be in case of an attack by other countries in the region, which had previously threatened to invade Niger to re-establish democracy.