Guyana Defence Force

Guyana Defence Force
Founded	1966
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Donald Ramotar
Minister of Foreign affairs	Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett
Chief of Staff	Gary Best
Chief-of-Staff	Brigadier Mark Phillips
Manpower
Military age	16 years of age for selection process, 17 years of age is actual serving age (As of 2007)
Reaching military age annually	(2005 est.)
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.

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 Voluntarydisambiguation needed 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.

Guyana Defence Force Flag

GDF Force Colour

GDF Presidential (or State) Colour

Emblem on the GDF Colours

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.

Motto

The motto of the Guyana Defence Force is "SERVICE".^{[citation needed]}

Organization

Roundel of the GDF

• 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
• Medical Corps
• Air Corps

Army Equipment

Infantry Weapons

• Walther PPK Germany
• M16A2 United States
• Type 56China
• Type 63China
• AKMSoviet Union
• AK 47Soviet Union
• HK G3Germany
• FN MAGBelgium
• RPG-7Soviet Union

Armored vehicles

• 10 Ford F-350United States
• 04 Shorland United Kingdom
• 06 EE-9 CascavelBrazil
• 12 EE-11 UrutuBrazil

Artillery and Mortars

• 12 D-30 122mm towed howitzerSoviet Union
• 06 M-46 130mm towed howitzerSoviet Union
• 12 L16 81mm MortarUnited Kingdom
• 18 M-43 82mm mortarSoviet Union
• 18 M1938 mortar 120mmSoviet Union
• 06 Type 65 82mm recoilless rifleChina
• 06 Type 63 multiple rocket launcherChina
• 06 ZPU 14.5x4 AAGSoviet Union
• 18 Launchers of 100 missilles SA-7 Grail MANPAD Soviet Union

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 currently operates two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service	Notes
Transport and Liaison Aircraft
Short Skyvan	United Kingdom	Utility Transport	SC-7 Skyvan 3M	1	In service since 1979.
Harbin Y-12 Panda	People's Republic of China	Utility Transport	Y-12	1	In service since 2002.
Helicopters
Bell 206 JetRanger	United States	Utility Helicopter	206B	2	In service since 1976.
Bell 412	United States	Utility Helicopter	412	1	In service since 1984.
RotorWay Exec 162F	United States	Light Helicopter	162F	1	In service since 2004.

Former Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service	Notes
Transport and Liaison Aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air	United States	Transport and Patrol Aircraft	King Air 200	1	In service from 1975 to 1992.
Britten Norman Islander	United Kingdom	Transport and Patrol Aircraft	BN-2A	7	In service from 1971 to 2001. One (8R-GES) crashed on the 15th of December 1986 and another (8R-GFN) was destroyed in a crash on the 6th of January 2001.
Cessna 182	United States	Liaison Aircraft	182J Skylane	1	In service from 1982 to 1994.
Cessna 206	United States	Transport and Patrol Aircraft	U206G Stationair	1	In service from 1975 to 1995.
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante	Brazil	Transport Aircraft	110P	1	In service from 1984 to 1994.
Helio Super Courier	United States	Liaison and Patrol Aircraft	H-295 Super Courier	3	In service from 1968 to 1971.
Helicopters
Aerospatiale Alouette III	France	Utility Helicopter	SA-319B	2	In service from 1975 to 1982.
Bell 212	United States	Utility Helicopter		3	In service from 1976 to 1994.
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	Transport and Utility Helicopter	Hip	3	In service from 1985 to 1991.

Navy

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 aircraft information files Brightstar publishing file 344 sheet 2

External links

• Official website