Guyana Defense Force receives two Dornier aircrafts from Indian manufacturers

The governments of Guyana and India have maintained amicable relations for a long time, facilitating cooperation between them in multiple fields. A more recent example of this is the acquisition of two Dornier aircraft by the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) from Indian manufacturers.

As Guyana continues to grapple with the threat of Venezuela, the nation has been making strides in military and technological acquisitions of various sorts to prepare itself for a possible conflict over the disputed Essequibo region with its South American neighbor.

President Irfaan Ali himself took to Facebook and posted pictures of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Dornier 228 planes which were received by the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

The payload was brought in via two Boeing C-17 Globemaster military transport planes, making for an impressive sight on arrival.

The Export-Import Bank of India financed the purchase after it signed a loan agreement worth US$23.27 million with the Ministry of Finance, thus allowing Guyana to acquire the two Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircrafts.

Considering the terrain in Guyana and the nation’s current requirements, the HAL 228 planes are seen as the ideal option for STOLs. This acquisition will allow the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) to move troops rapidly to locations in the nation’s interior, resupply military bases more efficiently and also conduct maritime patrols or operations with a higher degree of confidence.

Dr Amit Telang, India’s High Commissioner to Guyana stated last month that the Line of Credit (LOC) Agreement that the two nations have managed to establish is the first of its kind for India in the Caribbean.

This in itself is seen as a sign of the excellent relations that Guyana enjoys with India by virtue of decades of effective diplomacy by both sides.

Diplomatic relations between India and Guyana were established on the 26th of May, 1966 and the two nations have found ways to work towards mutually beneficial initiatives and agreements ever since.

The relationship has flourished over the years and the two nations now see each other as Strategic partners on a variety of matters, both of regional and international significance.

A slight window into the nature of the partnership between India and Guyana is seen in a description of the imports and exports between them.

In 2021-22 alone, the value of imports and exports between the two nations amounted to an impressive $223.36 million. While this is the highest number recorded in recent years, in 2020-21, the two nations exchanged goods valued at $46.97 million, which is closer to the yearly average.