GDF Commissions $711M Aircraft as Defence Modernisation Accelerates

The story of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has evolved from a military that was forced to consistently repair old equipment to one that procures advanced equipment each year.

During the commissioning of a $711.6 million (€2.9M) Tecnam P2012 aircraft at the GDF hangar at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport on Thursday, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali stated that the progress of the GDF shows the commitment of his administration.

“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 noted.

Since the PPP/C took office in 2020, the country’s defence budget increased by more than three and a half times the size of the 2019 budget.

This, the president said, makes it an optimistic time for every rank in the military.

“It’s an exciting time to be in the Guyana Defence Force, and your circumstances are changing beyond leaps and bounds. You now can do a degree, a postgraduate, or your master’s, you can now aspire to be in almost every single profession, knowing that the Guyana Defence Force will support your aspirations,” he noted.

The new aircraft, registered to represent the Mabaruma township, 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 [aircraft] is formidable,” the president explained.

The commander-in-chief highlighted 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.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan reminded those in attendance that this is the sixth aircraft added to the army’s fleet since 2020.

“Clear in [the president’s] 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 explained.

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, National Security Advisor to the President Captain Gerry Gouveia, and the various heads of the joint services, attended the ceremony.