[ad_1]
President Irfaan Ali says his Government will soon conclude an agreement to expand the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) air fleet in order to ensure it is fully capable of meeting contemporary security challenges.
The head of state revealed this on Tuesday during the commissioning of the new ship “GDFS Shahoud”.
Speaking at the event, President Ali noted that the government has been making strategic investments to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities.
“We have also reached an agreement to expand and acquire new assets for our air defence system and we hope to soon conclude an agreement to expand our fleet to meet the urgent needs and requirements of the Guyana Defence Force,” the Head of State said.
He further disclosed that the government has spent $11.4 billion to recapitalize the GDF between 2020 and 2023. During the same period, the government has also invested more than $8 billion in major acquisitions and infrastructure for the Air Force and Coast Guard.
GDF spending will increase to $20 billion in 2024 from $3.7 billion in 2023.
At the same time, the government has been investing in the GDF’s human resources. Many junior and senior officers have benefited from training programmes with bilateral partners such as the United States, France and India.
“As our human resource capabilities have grown, so has our human resource capabilities, our ability to respond to modern threats and our modern infrastructure.”
Recently, the President unveiled plans to integrate national security agencies. One notable move is the creation of a naval and aviation component within the Guyana Police Force (GPF), a first for Guyana.
He disclosed at the time that government was in the process of acquiring state-of-the-art assets to facilitate the integration of the Guyana Police Force with other security agencies.
“For the first time, we have a naval force that is able to use our riverine assets to fight crime and conduct proactive BroadCast Unitedligence work. So, currently we are acquiring state-of-the-art marine assets to support the work of the Guyana Police Force,” the President said.
On the introduction of the aviation component, the President explained that the aim is to build air capacity and capability for the Guyana Police Force and integrate it with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
“We will be moving a significant amount of our air power and capabilities to the new hangar in Ogle that is currently being constructed and rehabilitated by the Guyana Defence Force. We expect this hangar to not only enhance the Guyana Defence Force’s air power and capabilities but also to add two more modern pieces of equipment to support the Guyana Police Force’s air component,” said Dr. Ali.
These include helicopters with drone capabilities, according to the president. He said the government is building a cohesive foundation with assets for the joint force.
[ad_2]
Source link
