AS part of efforts to fully optimise the capabilities of Guyanese servicemen and women, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has disclosed plans to further expose the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to greater training and technology.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces made this revelation during a Christmas luncheon with ranks at Base Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown.
Dr. Ali said: “We are building a new Defence Force, a Defence Force that is focused heavily on the future [and] the use of new technology.”

The government, he noted, is going to invest in new technologies, training, and education to prepare the armed forces for future threats, such as cyber-attacks, and to improve intelligence gathering, border security, and defence infrastructure.
The President related that with these newer technologies, new forms of training will be needed. To this end, the government will ensure that ranks are equipped with the necessary training.
“It will require additional education. It will require re-strategising, as we implement new technologies to support your work, as we build partnership with many different countries, you will be exposed to greater training, to greater opportunities, and importantly, to greater technology that will allow us to optimise our human asset,” the Head of State said.

In the last four years, the Government of Guyana has invested more than $155 billion to ensure that the GDF is not only equipped with advanced training but also to ensure that the defence infrastructure is capable, adaptable and flexible to meet every requirement of future development.
Dr. Ali said: “These are essential elements that we are investing in that will require us to upskill each and every one of you, to increase and improve your competency, to make you much, much more valuable than you are today.”
Only recently, President Ali had announced that the GDF will soon initiate tenders for the construction of a new defence headquarters, boasting comprehensive design with modern infrastructure.

During that engagement, the Head of State had keenly pointed out the government’s commitment to national security and development through significant investments in military training and infrastructure.
These investments, he reiterated, reflect the government’s commitment to building resilient and robust military infrastructure.