Gov’t continues to invest heavily in modernisation of Air Corps – President Ali

–GDF’s operational capabilities enhanced with two new aircraft

The operational capabilities of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) are further enhanced with the addition of two new aircraft to its fleet.

His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, delivered the feature remarks at the commissioning ceremony for the Beechcraft KingAir 350 and the Bell 412 EPI Helicopter on Saturday, held at the Air Corps station in Timehri.

He said the introduction of these additional aircraft signals the dawning of a transformational era for the defence force, adding that it complements the larger asset-human resource.

The Commander in Chief noted that the government is investing heavily in building the human resource capacity , and to this end, a Civil Aviation school is in the pipeline, in a bid to establish one of the most modern and advanced aviation training facilities in the Caribbean.

“I have authorised work to be concluded before the third quarter of this year, to have a full presentation to the defence board of a military and civil aviation school, to be run and managed by the Air Corps, where we are going to reach out to all our retired assets from the Air Corps, and those regionally,” he disclosed.

The head of state added that government anticipates signing the contract for this facility by the end of the year.

“The modernisation of the air corps or the aviation wing of the GDF has just begun. We have invested heavily in ensuring that we have the right complement of human resource personnel, and also the right level of training,” President Ali said.

Over the past year, a number of pilots and engineers have received training on the maintenance and operation of the aircraft.

“We are sparing no effort in ensuring that we put our Guyana Defence Force and Air Corps in the frontline of modernisation and transformation and creating an environment in which we are second to none. This vision requires transformational thinking,” the head of state underscored.

The Beechcraft Super King Air 350 has been identified as one of the most sought-after turboprops within the industry and has spent the last two years undergoing extensive upgrades to serve as the executive aircraft for the government.

It is equipped with twin engines, a cruising capacity of some 35,000 feet, and a 1600-pound weight capacity with maximum fuel.

Meanwhile, the Bell 412 EPI Helicopter is expected to tremendously enhance GDF’s capacity for rapidly deploying forces to the remote areas of the country. It will also play a significant role in improving the country’s territorial defence, and improving surveillance capacity, in keeping with the country’s robust defence policy. The acquisition of these aircraft signals the form of development that is rapidly unfolding in Guyana, as these aircraft will now serve to complement the array of tools being employed by GDF to serve Guyana and its people.