GDF boosting capabilities with more aircraft, marine vessel – Brigadier Khan

…as Commander-in-Chief details comprehensive plan to equip army for modern world

As part of ongoing efforts to optimise its resources and capabilities, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will soon be adding two new fixed-wing aircrafts and a massive ocean patrol vessel to its fleet of assets.

This is according to the GDF’s Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, while delivering remarks at the opening ceremony of the army’s Annual Officers’ Conference held at Base Camp Ayanganna on Thursday morning.
Brigadier Khan noted that while 2025 was a busy and demanding year, considerable strides were made in enhancing the Force’s capabilities.
These include heavy investments to construct new and upgrade existing infrastructure within the military, including the $231.1 million GDF Air Corps Hangar that was rehabilitated last year at the Eugene F Correia International Airport in Ogle, East Coast Demerara, and the construction of a new hangar at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Timehri, East Bank Demerara.
“These will be used, and are being used, to service our expanding air fleet, which now includes one additional fixed-wing aircraft and two Bell helicopters. We expect to acquire two more fixed-wing aircraft within the next quarter,” the Army Head stated.
Similarly, the GDF has been bolstering its marine infrastructure with the construction of a new $2 billion concrete wharf at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Ruimveldt, Greater Georgetown, to accommodate new and larger army vessels.
“[The] 600-foot wharf is slated to be completed this year in preparation to accommodate our largest ocean patrol vessel, scheduled to arrive in the third quarter… As a matter of fact, today [Thursday] we are conducting river trials of our newly built tactical river boats. We expect their arrival before the end of this month,” Khan stated.
According to Khan, the acquisition of other strategic assets will continue, as well as the expansion of the drone operation to support ground troops deployed across the country.

Capability development
Moreover, Brigadier Khan outlined that the army continues to make deliberate and measured investments in capability development, including training of its officers.
In fact, the Army Chief disclosed that more than 1200 GDF members underwent specialised training in 2025, thus underscoring the Force’s commitment to improving operational readiness, adaptability, and professionalism. These trainings spanned a wide range of military, technical, academic, and leadership disciplines, strengthening the force’s ability to confront present and future challenges.
Similarly, the GDF continues to play a major role in national infrastructure development across the country, working on the rehabilitation of hinterland airstrips that not only improve hinterland connectivity and emergency response capabilities but also economic activity through air transport.
“These efforts”, Brigadier Khan posited, “reflect the evolving role of building a modern military, both as a guardian of sovereignty and as a partner in national development and resilience.”
This position coincides with the theme of this year’s Officers’ Conference: “Transforming the Force to better confront the nation’s present and future challenges by enhancing its awareness, adaptability and agility capabilities.”
In fact, a similar charge was delivered by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, during his feature address at the opening ceremony on Thursday morning as he outlined a comprehensive plan aimed at guiding the GDF to operate in a modern world.
According to the Head of State, this plan is multi-layered and designed to equip officers with the tools needed to be multifunctional in an ever-changing landscape.
“We celebrate our accomplishments, but we now must define the next phase of this journey,” he told senior officers attending the conference at Base Camp Ayanganna.

Modern security threats
To this end, the Commander-in-Chief charged the army to undertake continuous strategic transformation to meet modern security threats and safeguard national development. He emphasised that the nation’s defence system must remain “flexible”, “nimble”, and “relevant” to safeguard national development in an evolving security landscape.
President Ali made it clear that defence can no longer be viewed in a vacuum, pointing out that GDF’s mandate now extends to protecting national policies critical to national development. Guyana, he revealed, has moved ahead of many regional peers in this critical thinking.
The Guyanese leader further outlined a specific framework – partnership, priority, position and policy – that must guide the next phase of the force’s journey. He said partnerships must be integrated and coordinated within national policy, questioning how the defence mechanism integrates with national assets and challenges.
“Where do we want our people to position? Is our Coast Guard appropriately positioned or headquartered in this modern era of defence, and what is needed in the future? These are the questions we must confront now and adapt to what is necessary in a new environment,” he stressed.
At the core of this modern force are its people. President Ali warned that training must anticipate the future challenges rather than reacting to past ones. He noted that defence personnel must prepare for shifts in migration and culture, stating that training within the GDF must not be limited to military priorities alone.
To support this, he called for a clear gap analysis covering the next 15 to 20 years to ensure that people, capability and capacity are properly aligned.
Beyond traditional defence domains
The Commander-in-Chief went on to outline a significant expansion of traditional defence domains to include the economy, ecology and environment. He raised concerns about the protection of telecommunications and technological infrastructure, including undersea cables, describing them as central to Guyana’s economic well-being.
“This tells you that our defence architecture goes beyond the tradition,” the President said, adding that “we must now demonstrate, in keeping with this national and international priority, what our defence system will look like in relation to our ecology, our biodiversity, and our environment because we are positioning this country and this economy in that sphere.”
The President also announced a strategic shift toward technology-driven defence, including artificial intelligence and enhanced intelligence capabilities. He disclosed that defence structures would be adjusted to reflect new priorities involving AI, technology and modern defence assets, describing this area as “the most important branch of the future”.
“We have to develop our in-house AI and train our in-house AI with the right data, with the right information, to be the right tool for our defence system. We can’t tiptoe around this issue,” the President stressed.
Moreover, the Head of State also emphasised the importance of domain awareness in protecting critical national assets, referencing recent acts of terrorism as evidence of evolving threats. He told officers that responsibility, reliability and readiness must define the GDF, particularly in building trust with international partners.
“Our partners must know we are reliable in the defence of democracy, the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he emphasised.
He reminded officers that decisions made at the conference would affect every level of the Defence Force, placing a heavy responsibility on leadership.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Cabinet Ministers, and other senior Government officials, as well as the heads of the joint services, were also present at Thursday’s opening ceremony.