Defence Investments Anchored in Peace, Economic Security — President Ali
- Commissions $231.1M Air Corps Hangar at Ogle Airport
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali commissioned the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Air Corps Hangar at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport on Friday.
The facility is valued at more than $231.1 million and is expected to significantly enhance the country’s national security capabilities, enabling faster medical evacuations, search and rescue operations, and military readiness.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President Ali emphasized that Guyana’s defence investments are not aimed at aggression but at securing national development, protecting sovereignty, and contributing to regional peace.
“Every dollar spent on strengthening our Defence Force is a dollar spent on safeguarding our economic potential, ensuring that investors have confidence in our stability, and protecting the very foundation upon which development is built,” the president stated during the commissioning ceremony.
The president underscored that defence spending is aligned with a broader national development strategy, positioning the GDF as a key partner in humanitarian relief, disaster response and public safety operations.
“That is why our investment in defence is not about preparing for war. It is about guaranteeing peace, deterring aggression, and creating an environment where every citizen can work and live without fear,” the president stated.
Over the past four years, the government has invested approximately $10 billion in the GDF Air Corps alone. In addition, more than $400 million has been directed toward human resource development, with another $100 million allocated in the current year.
The government has also made substantial investments in new equipment, training, and infrastructure aimed at enhancing the GDF’s capabilities in crime-fighting, firefighting, and search and rescue.
“These investments cannot be taken for granted. And they form part of our overall defence strategy that is linked to our search and rescue strategy capability, our humanitarian capability, and then our core defence and military capability,” he stated.
Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan highlighted the hangar’s role in bolstering inter-agency cooperation, particularly with the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service.
“I see search and rescue operation as being a key function of this relationship. In this instance, the Guyana Defence Force through the Air Corps certainly looks forward to engaging, where necessary, all stakeholders to ensure we collectively bring the kind of value deserving of our people and our country to make it better,” he expressed.
The project was undertaken by Synergy General Contracting and Engineering Services.
Border controversy
President Ali also addressed recent overtures from Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro who has called for direct dialogue amidst ongoing territorial disputes.
While reiterating Guyana’s commitment to diplomacy, President Ali made clear that the country will not entertain dialogue under threats or in defiance of international rulings and the Argyle Declaration.
“The very fact that they would seek to hold elections in territory that does not belong to them tells you that they are not serious about dialogue. They are not serious about the Argyle Declaration. And we will not be drawn into any discourse on the duress. We are all for dialogue, but dialogue with respect, dialogue with dignity, dialogue with a sense of purpose,” the president stressed.
The border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela remains before the International Court of Justice, which has issued orders that Venezuela has thus far ignored.
