- Guyana Defence Force
-
Guyana Defence Force 
Founded 1966 Leadership Commander-in-Chief Bharrat Jagdeo Minister of Foreign affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best Manpower Military age 16 years of age for selection process, 17 years of age is actual serving age (As of 2007) Expenditures Budget 456,000[citation needed] Percent of GDP 5.8% (2010)[citation needed] Industry Foreign suppliers United States, China, Japan The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is the military service of Guyana.
Contents
History
The GDF was formed on November 1, 1965. Members of the new Defence Force were drawn from the British Guiana Volunteer Force (BGVF), Special Service Unit (SSU), British Guiana Police Force BGPF and civilians. Training assistance was provided by British instructors.
The GDF is an integral part of the Guyanese nation. Resources and equipment of the GDF are used to help other Guyanese, examples include medical mercy flights and the construction of roads and airstrips by the Engineering Corps.
Enlistment into the Force is voluntary for officers and soldiers. Basic training is done within GDF training schools, which has also trained officers and soldiers from Commonwealth Caribbean territories. However, Officers are trained at two of the world-renowned British officer training schools: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Infantry Training) and Britannia Royal Naval College (Coast Guard Training).
The training and skills gained by the members of the GDF have been used when they move either into civilian life or into the sister military organizations, the Guyana People's Militia (now the Second Infantry Battalion Group Reserve) and the Guyana National Service.
Role of the GDF
- Defend the territorial integrity of Guyana.
- Assist the civil power in the maintenance of law and order when required to do so.
- Contribute to the economic development of Guyana.
Organization
- 1st Infantry Battalion group
- 2nd Infantry Battalion group (Reserve)
- 1 Special Forces Company
- 1 Support Weapons Company
- 21st Artillery Company
- Engineer Battalion
- 41st Construction Company
- 42nd FD Company
- 43rd EME Company
- Signals
- Headquarters
- Defense Communication Center
- Signal Center and Switchboard
- Technical Workshop
- School of Signals
- Technical Stores
- Military Band
Army Equipment
Infantry Weapons
- Type 63 assault rifle
China - Type 56 China
- AKM
Soviet Union - Colt M16A-2 AR
United States - Heckler & Koch G3
Germany - FN MAG LMG
Belgium - RPG-7 Soviet Union
- AK 47 Soviet Union
- Walther PPK Germany
Armored vehicles
- 4 Shorland S52 4x4 APCs
United Kingdom - 6 EE-9 Cascavel 90mm gun\6x6 ARV (reported)
Brazil - 12 EE-11 Urutu 6x6 AIFV\APCs (reported) Brazil
- 10 Ford F-350 trucks United States
Artillery and Mortars
- 6 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) Soviet Union
- 12 D-30 122mm towed howitzer Soviet Union
North Korea - 18 M1938 mortar 120mm Soviet Union
- 18 82mm M-43 mortar Soviet Union
- 12 L16 81mm Mortar United Kingdom
- 6 82mm Type 65/78 AT RCL China
- 6 Type 63 multiple rocket launcher107mm China
- 6 ZPU 14.5x4 AAG Soviet Union
- 18 Launchers\100 missilles SA-7 Grail MANPAD Soviet Union
Motto
The motto of the Guyana Defence Force is "SERVICE".[citation needed]
Aircraft Inventory
The Defence force air wing was formed in 1968 and was then renamed the Guyana Defence force air command in 1973. Seven Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander were delivered over a five year period in the 1970s and then were supplemented by Short Skyvans series 3Ms in 1979. In 1986 3 Mil Mi-8 were delivered. The GDF operates two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopter.
Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service[1] Notes Bell 412 United StatesTransport Helicopter 412 1 Bell 206 JetRanger United StatesUtility Helicopter 206B 2 Harbin Y-12 Panda People's Republic of ChinaUtility Transport Y-12 1 RotorWay Exec 162F United StatesLight Helicopter 162F 1 Short Skyvan United KingdomUtility Transport SC-7 Skyvan 3M 1 Former Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA-319B Alouette III - Two helicopters, in service from 1975 to 1982.
France - Beechcraft King Air 200 - One aircraft, in service from 1975 to 1992. United States
- Bell 212 - Three helicopters, in service from 1976 to 1994. United States
- Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander - Seven aircraft, in service from 1971 to 1998. United Kingdom
- Cessna 182J Skylane - One aircraft, in service from 1982 to 1994. United States
- Cessna U206G Stationair - One aircraft, in service from 1975 to 1995. United States
- Embraer EMB 110P Bandeirante - One aircraft in service from 1984 to 1994. Brazil
- Helio H-295 Super Courier - Three aircraft, in service from 1968 to 1971. United States
- Mil Mi-8 Hip - Three helicopters, in service from 1985 to 1991. Soviet Union
GDF Coast Guard Emblem
The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard is the naval component of the Guyana Defence Force.
- GDFS Essequibo Mine sweeper-River class (UK) United Kingdom
- 1 River patrol boats - 890 tons full load - commissioned 1985
- 4 T-44 patrol boats - 18 tons full load
- 1 Kimbala class LCU
Holland
References
- ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
World aircraft information files Brightstar publishing file 344 sheet 2
External links
Military of South America Sovereign states Dependencies and
other territories- Aruba
- Bonaire
- Curaçao
- Falkland Islands
- French Guiana
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Categories:- Military units and formations established in 1965
- Military of Guyana
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
