Guyana acquires 2 Dornier 228 planes from India to strengthen Defence Force

The two Dornier 228 planes manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on two Boeing C-17 Globemaster military transport aircrafts. These planes were transported from India and have been acquired for the Guyana Defence Force.

The aircrafts arrived in the nation yesterday, showcasing the strong partnership between both the countries. The glimpses of the planes were shared by the Indian Embassy in Guyana on its official Facebook account. The Embassy remarked that a new chapter in India-Guyana cooperation started as an Indian Air Force team arrived in the country to deliver two HAL-228-201 aircrafts manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL).

The aircrafts are being provided under a Line of Credit extended by India to Guyana for which a US$ 23.27 million agreement was signed on 15 March 2024.

High Commissioner Dr Amit Telang underlined the unique relationship between India and Guyana as he interacted with IAF and HAL officials. The aircrafts to be operated by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will provide connectivity to remote areas and be used for wide range of functions including medical evacuation, disaster response etc. [caption id="attachment_69961" align="aligncenter" width="500"] HC Dr Telang at the airport receives the aircrafts[/caption]

The acquisition of these aircraft is seen as the best possible equipment for the Guyana Defend Force Air Corps.

The Dornier 228 (built under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics as the HAL 228) is a Swiss Army Knife of Air Logistics Support and Maritime Surveillance. It is relatively fast, has great endurance, can carry a large payload, and access most of Guyana's poorly prepared airstrips.

The aircraft uses a modern version of the same engine family that powers the Skyvan, so Army pilots will have commonality and familiarity.

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Dornier, the original type certificate holder is a now defunct German company so the only place a new build could be procured from is Hindustan Aeronautics in India.

As the aircrafts arrived on Sunday, Omar Khan, Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force, recognised the role that the Government of India has played in defence training over decades in the country and said that the signing of the contract is in keeping with President Irfaan Ali's vision of a robust security sector which will maintain the peace for One Guyana.