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Army had spent almost $700M for four planes; only two operating
– only two operating
In 2018, just about three years after it entered office, the Coalition Government moved to buy four planes for the army- the smaller Islanders and two Skyvans.
Minister Harmon, in 2018, in conversation with Commanding Officer of the Air Corps Lt. Col. Courtney Byrne, Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field, Chief of Staff Brig. West and Officer in Command at the Flight Operations Department, Major Mohinder Ramjag
The latter are capable of fetching soldiers.
The two Britten-Norman Islanders arrived around August 2018 while the two Shorts Sc-7 Skyvans reportedly came in June last year.
In excess of $700M, according to reports, were used to purchase the four planes.
According to several sources, one of the Islanders remained stripped since it came in 2018 because of technical problems.
Millions of dollars were spent on the other Islander to make it airworthy and cleared to take to skies.
One of the Skyvans, since arriving in June last year, barely flew a few months before being grounded.
Kaieteur News was told that it would cost as much as the purchase to bring the Skyvan up to be deemed airworthy.
The situation with the planes, which were touted to increase the army’s capacity especially in manning the wide open borders of Guyana, would raise alarm bells as to the due process used in their procurement.
It will be recalled that in May 2018, the Coalition was grilled in the National Assembly after an application was made for $484M in additional funding for the army for the purchases.
The approval was granted for the additional sums representing final payment towards the purchase of four fixed-wing aircrafts – two Islanders and two Skyvans.
Faced with numerous questions about the purchase from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the then Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who had responsibilities for the army, disclosed that the Islanders were first manufactured in 1976 while Skyvans were first manufactured in 1977. Both models are no longer being manufactured.
The Minister disclosed that the Skyvans, which were being used for troop transport and parachuting were being brought from Belgium through Liberty Aviation, an A
One of the Skyvans
merican company that operates from North Carolina. The Islanders, according to Harmon, were being purchased from Brazil which utilized the planes for passenger and cargo services.
“The Skyvans and Islanders are aircraft; people who have them don’t sell them. It’s like having a Rolls-Royce,” Harmon stated to justify the purchase of the aircraft.
PPP Parliamentarian, Clement Rohee, had pressed Harmon on the availability of spare parts for the aircraft given that they are out of production.
Harmon pointed out that while they are not being produced; there are many countries around the world that operate these aircraft and therefore spares and training are not an issue.
“They are sought after aircraft because of the capability. They allow for short take off and landing. They allow for the use of the type of airstrips, which we have in Guyana; 90% of which are short type of airstrips. Therefore, these two types of aircraft are specifically suited for those circumstances,” Harmon had explained.
Harmon had told the National Assembly that there are seven fully trained and certified engineers for the aircraft.
He explained that while the aircraft will be assigned to the GDF, other joint services agencies will have access specifically on matters of aerial surveillance. According to Harmon, the decision for the purchase was made at the level of the Defence Board, of which he was key decision maker.
It had been disclosed an initial payment of $213M was made by the GDF to the companies. Some $73M was budgeted for the military’s transportation-related expenditure.
Harmon had explained that to fill the gap to the initial payment, monies were diverted from capital projects, which saw government deciding to scale back on buildings and water supply projects.
In August 2018, Harmon had commissioned the two Islanders.
It was stated then that the Islanders were expected to be used in search and rescue operations, evacuations, troop transport and tactical observation. They will also be used to conduct surveillance throughout Guyana including the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
It was announced that the army was also seeking to buy four brand new helicopters and one unmanned aerial vehicle as part of its recapitalisation.
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