$231M GDF Air Corps’ Hangar commissioned

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Air Corps’ Hangar at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was commissioned on Friday to the tune of $231,178,563.

Chief of Defence Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Omar Khan welcomed the investment, noting that this location will enhance response time and increase operational reach. He said the hangar positions the Air Corps closer to the country’s maritime sector and other aviation stakeholders. Majority of the oil and gas support assets also operate from the Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

“What more better can we have than to have another GDF hangar positioned physically among a growing local private aviation industry, the bulk of which is situated right here at this airport. While our roles are distinct, the synergy of operating at this airport is filled with opportunities that can only make use better at executing our service to our country,” he stated.

Beyond its security functions, the GDF partners with the private aviation sector to provide medical evacuations, conduct search and rescue operations and provide humanitarian flights for those in need.

According to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, the Force engages in over 100 humanitarian flights annually. He said the organisation’s presence at Ogle is necessary.

“As a result of changes in the skyline of our city, we will have to build the necessary capacity that would allow us to respond effectively to threats of fire and other emergencies,” the President said.

The government has invested in equipment and appropriate training so the GDF can assist in firefighting.

With the acquisition of four helicopters, maintenance of existing resources and the purchasing of other assets, the President said over $10B was invested in the GDF Air Corps alone in the last four years.

Between 2021 to 2024, he noted that more than $400M was invested in training and development of human assets with another $400M set to be spent in 2025.

“These investments cannot be taken for granted and they form part of our overall defence strategy, that is linked to our search and rescue capability, our humanitarian capability and then our core defense capability,” he noted.

With threats from Venezuela and an expanding economy, the Head of State related that the drone strategy and programme will be expanded.

“We’re going to spend billions of dollars and we will perhaps have with these investments, one of the most modern expansive drone capability in this region…As you know our EEZ is a large space, monitoring our borders requires us to adopt a nimble strategy and part of that nimble strategy is technology that allows us to see and monitor our borders and our EEZ and that is what we’re investing in.”