BEING a fighter jet pilot is arguably the least likely thing any Guyanese boy or girl growing up might expect to be, given that Guyana has no such jets and some would say no need for costly military equipment of that scale. Perhaps the odd youth is inspired by films such as Top Gun, due to the release of a sequel featuring the evergreen Tom Cruise.

This distant Hollywood characterisation is perhaps why it was so surprising to see two Guyanese pilots complete a training programme under the Chinese armed forces in the art of manning a fighter jet. This was a welcome nod to Guyana’s great potential as a country of regional influence, even though it is indeed true that when those brave pilots return home there will be no jets waiting for them to proudly man.

We can at least acknowledge and laud their patriotic spirit for now, and the foresight of local armed service personnel who facilitated this programme. The Guyanese public should fully support our courageous, well-trained troops and capacity-building initiatives such as this one lend credibility to the notion that the armed forces are administered well. This does also pose the question, however, of whether we might actually at some point see fighter jets locally.

Our leadership, under President Granger, has wisely emphasised diplomacy and international institutions as Guyana’s first line of defence against any aggressor, Venezuela being the long-standing, chief concern. But as many wealthy nations with small populations have demonstrated, there is always a need to build up local defence capabilities. Even further, there is especially a need for rapid- response capabilities in Guyana, as our dense forests make navigation slow.

Fighter jets commonly comprise an important element of small nations’ defences and it is virtually commonplace to hear of Israel’s fighter jets in action, constantly defending their hotly contested borders. In particular, fighter jets provide great increases in rapid-response capabilities, because of the speed at which they fly (regularly faster than the speed of sound) while also bearing powerful weaponry to deal with whatever threat is encountered.
Technological superiority, in this case through the use of fighter jets, has proven decisive in many conflicts, the most striking example being Israel’s victory in the Six-day war, in which the technologically inferior air forces of Israel’s enemies were swiftly and decisively dealt with. Fighter jets of repute are no small matter, however, costing many millions of dollars each; the United States’ most advanced fighter jet programme is actually reported to be the most expensive military programme in the world. Cheaper Chinese, Russian and Finnish alternatives are however available, even though they may not be quite as capable.
These first two Guyanese pilots thus represent a notion of a far-off future, when Guyana is sufficiently developed that such expensive military equipment as fighter jets are a feasible solution. But with Guyana’s large and growing proven reserves, the time is slowly coming when young Guyanese can perhaps dream of being proud fighter pilots, streaking through the sky above our lush rainforests. Given that fighter jets form a key element of many national celebrations, this would certainly be a proud sight.

Who knows, at the very least, we should not discourage our enthusiastic youth from dreaming big, because now is the time to dream. The dictates of our qualified armed services personnel will determine the course of budgetary decisions in defence, so we will in time learn what is truly required, but Guyanese can certainly hold their heads high. Long live the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.