-President Ali says investment aims to position army as a regional first responder, support rapid deployment, surveillance, humanitarian assistance

ADVANCING the transformation of Guyana’s airspace defences, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday afternoon commissioned the Tecnam P2012 aircraft at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)’s hangar at the Eugene F. Correia Airport at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

Addressing military stakeholders, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces noted that while the new aircraft will support operations such as rapid deployment, surveillance, and humanitarian assistance, it forms part of a broader strategy to position the GDF as first responders in the region.

“I want us to realign our thinking when we speak about the military, and what we’re doing here to understand that it is a much broader landscape that we’re speaking of. Our role in the region is also expanding today. The Guyana Defence Force is called upon to respond to every single natural disaster across the region.”

He added that investments in the country’s aerospace capabilities go beyond merely acquiring physical assets, with a focus on leveraging technology for defence modernisation, sovereignty, and security.

“We are currently examining investment in key assets that will support our civil responsibility and duties; investments that would lead to food security, that would lead to resource security and greater integration between the regions of Guyana and our regions across the Caribbean,” the Head of State said.

He highlighted, too, the strategic alignment and modernisation of the local military to promote greater coordination among land, air, and sea assets, and interoperability between different security agencies.

To this end, the President pointed to the increased investments in defence capabilities.

Since 2019, the GDF’s budget has been increased tremendously, from $13.9 billion to $50.4 billion this year. Key investments include new aircraft, helicopters, patrol boats, and hangars, with a capital budget rising from $1.03 billion to $24.5 billion.

“We have not only increased the budget, we have transformed how we think about defence. We have moved from maintenance to modernization; from patching up to powering up, from stretching resources to strategically resourcing. The recapitalisation of the Guyana Defence Force is not a footnote of our administration,” President Ali said.

He noted that the new aircraft can be seen as a tool of readiness, and a vessel of sovereignty to safeguard the country’s assets.

“The world we live in demands that we tell it like it is. We’re living in a new age, where the lines between traditional threats and New Age dangers have blurred. The threats we face are not only on our borders; they are above us, around us, and beneath us at our seas. Our natural resources, our oil, our gas, our gold, our bauxite, our forests, our fisheries, our biodiversity have made Guyana the envy of many,” he said.

Speaking candidly, President Ali noted that while Guyana is acquiring state-of-the-art assets, its first line of defence will also be supported by diplomacy.

“We’re going to protect our national sovereignty. Yes! We’re going to protect it with enhanced operational capacity. Yes, we’re going to protect it with defence diplomacy. And yes, we’re going to protect it by building strong, credible security partnerships with countries that share our values,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan disclosed that over $9 billion has been invested in transforming the GDF’s air corps.

The Army Chief noted that with strategic guidance from the Commander-in-Chief, the GDF aims to build a modern, smart, and resilient force to support national defence and development, with a focus on enhancing awareness, adaptability, and agility across all domains.

“The Technam B 2012 aircraft was acquired to complement and support air operations such as emulating the rapid deployment to remote areas and the conduct of surveillance, humanitarian, search and rescue operations. Additionally, in tandem with this operational profile, is the force’s support of the law enforcement, a key role in the fight against transnational crime, including this movement of illicit drugs and illegal firearms in our country,” he said.

According to Khan, the new aircraft will be deployed soon in such missions.

The aircraft was acquired at a cost of $711.6 million (€2.9M).