GUYANA is currently in discussion with Bell Helicopter, the world’s leading manufacturer of rotary-wings aircraft, for the purchase of four aircraft, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

The Vice-President during his weekly news conference told reporters that the government has begun engagements with the major supplier for the purchase of four small helicopters to assist with training of its security personnel and boost the country’s capability.

He said that further assessments will be made to identify what models of aircraft will be needed; however, the purchase will see aircraft with low operating costs and the capacity to facilitate training being acquired.

“We are [in] discussion with Bell for the purchase of four smaller helicopters not just to assist the army, but the police in training and also policing,” the Vice-President said.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, just last week had announced that for the first time the government will be establishing a marine and aviation division within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The Head of State, while addressing members of the Joint Services and other stakeholders, said the government is now in the process of obtaining state-of-the art assets to facilitate the integration of the Guyana Police Force with other security institutions.

“We are building out, for the first time, a marine division that would be capable of utilising our river asset in crime-fighting and proactive intelligence work. So, right now, we are in the process of acquiring state-of-the-art marine assets to support the work of the Guyana Police Force,” the President said.

As it relates to the introduction of the aviation division, the President explained that the aim is to build air capacity and capability for the Guyana Police Force that will be integrated with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

“We are going to move a lot of our air capacity and capability to the new hangar at Ogle that the Guyana Defence Force is constructing and rehabilitating right now. We hope in that hangar to not only add to the air capability and capacity of the Guyana Defence Force, but to add two modern pieces of equipment to support the air division of the Guyana Police Force,” Dr. Ali said.

According to the President, these include choppers with drone capability. He said that the government is creating a cohesive base for the Joint Services as it relates to assets.

“In the Guyana Police Force, for example, we will have an integration between the chopper, the sea craft, what I call sea craft capability, the air capability and land capability, of course, in the land capability, we are already investing heavily in bikes, motor vehicles, buses, ATVs,” the Head of State said.