In recent years, the Indian defence sector has expanded its footing in the global south for Indian arms exports. Guyana, a small nation to the south of the Caribbean Sea, recently signed a Line of credit (LOC) to purchase a military platform from India.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will acquire two Dornier 228 from India with a loan of $23.27 million from the Export-Import Bank of India, better known as EXIM Bank. An agreement was signed between the Guyanese Finance Minister and the Deputy General Manager of EXIM Bank.
The agreement was signed on 15th March, making it the 11th Line of Credit to be signed with Guyana and the EXIM bank. Currently, the EXIM Bank has reached 292 Line of Credits all over the world at around USD 2.72 billion.
Earlier, India only offered smaller defence programs to Guyana under its Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. Guyana is a small country bordering Venezuela that requires multi-role aircraft for maritime patrolling and transporting troops and supplies in the region. It will be the first time India has signed a defence LoC with a Caribbean nation. The aircraft will be used for troop movement and maritime patrols.
Guyana aims to strengthen its defence capability, especially that of its Air Corp and Coast Guards. In a statement to the media, Dr Ashni K Singh, the Finance Minister of Guyana, said, “This agreement represents the latest instalment of the government’s ongoing effort to ramp up the capabilities of the GDF, and has its genesis in President Irfaan Ali’s visit to India’s state-owned aerospace and defence company—Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)—in January 2023.” The visit inspired the government of Guyana to sign a Line of Credit (LoC) agreement with India to purchase two HAL (Dornier) 228 planes made in Kanpur by Hindustan Aeronautics. President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, had agreed to purchase two aircraft during his Kanpur visit to the HAL’s manufacturing facility.
Dornier 228 is a twin-engine turboprop, highly versatile, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft manufactured by HAL for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The aircraft is lightweight, has a wide range of operating speeds, and is unique in its fuel efficiency. ICG operates this high-winged aircraft in two variants. The Dornier 228 has quick role-changing capability for any of the following roles: maritime petrol, surveillance, marine pollution contingency, search and rescue, and medical evacuation.
According to media reports, the Chief of Staff of the GDF acknowledged India’s contribution to strengthening the country’s defence capability, highlighting the significance of the defence agreement between India and Guyana. Previously, India had also gifted the Dornier to Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Team BharatShakti
