GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jul 11, CMC -The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has commissioned its sixth aircraft since 2020 that will have a multi-role platform for military operations and humanitarian assistance.
In addition, President Irfaan Ali, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, told the ceremony that the GDF has shifted gears into the use of aerospace defence systems to protect the country.
“We have expanded our air assets and capability to include our aerospace investment,” he said as the Italian-made Tecnam P2012 Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) plane that was bought for Euro 2.9 million (One Euro=US$1.29 cents).
The new aircraft will perform several duties, including humanitarian assistance in hinterland communities when necessary. It was selected because of its ability to navigate the rough skies, as well as its capability to land on narrow airstrips scattered throughout the hinterland.
“It will be a true multi-role platform for military operations and humanitarian assistance. The Tecnam is formidable,” Ali said, adding that the commissioning reflects the forward-thinking nature of the administration, ushering in a new mentality towards defence and military strategy in Guyana.
“Today, as we commission this aircraft, let us also commission a new mindset; One that says that security is not an after thought, it is a foundation. One that says defence is not a luxury, it is a necessity…that sovereignty is not negotiable, it is sacred,” he said.
“We have moved from maintenance to modernisation, 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, it is a headline.”
President Ali said that since coming to office in 2020, the country’s defence budget has increased by more than three fold, adding “it’s an exciting time to be in the Guyana Defence Force…”.
Ali said the Tecnam P2012 plane, while “not an attack aircraft”, would take the GDF to resupply remote outposts, medically evacuate sick and injured persons or respond to national emergencies.
“When we chose this type of aircraft was not because it looked pretty. We chose it because it could perform, because it could get in and out of those ‘tight’ hinterland strips, because it could be a true multirole platform for military operations and humanitarian assistance,” he said. The Chief-of-Defence Staff, in his remarks, said the plane would be used for rapid deployment to remote areas, the conduct of surveillance, search, rescue operations, and support to law enforcement agencies to combat the smuggling of illegal drugs and firearms into Guyana.
“Clear in strategic guidance is our resolve to enhance our awareness, improve our adaptability and to increase our agility, across all domains…it is within this construct the Technam P2012 aircraft was acquired to complement and support air operations such as…rapid deployment to remote areas,” Brigadier Khan said.
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