Ghana Armed Forces go through some upgrading

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new hangar

The Commander -In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces has pledged his continuous commitment to equipping the Ghana Armed Forces with adequate logistics to ensure the safety and security of the country?s aerospace and maintenance of its territories. He made this known at the inauguration ceremony of a new hangar, operational equipment and vehicles at the Air Force Base in Accra on Thursday November 20, 2014.

As the aerial warfare organizational military branch of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Air Force requires modern equipment to provide air transport and offensive air support to the Ghana Armed Forces to protect the terminal airspace of the country.

In a competitive world of commercial and military aviation, aircraft hangars provide major advantages to the operations of the Air Force. Apart from housing the aircrafts and protecting them from the vagaries of the weather, they are also used for maintenance, repairs and assembly of aircrafts.

In this direction, a new hangar and a logistics warehouse have been built, and two other hangars (hangar 1and 2) rehabilitated, at the Air Force Base in Accra. These have been named after four officers, Air Marshal John Asamoah Bruce, Wing Commander William Robert Amonoo-Coleman, Air Vice Marshal John Odaate Barnor and Air Vice Marshal James Akrong Kotei respectively, for their immense contributions to the Ghana Air Force.

The ultramodern facility built by a Brazilian company, Contracta Engenharia Limited, is equipped with aerial maintenance apparatus in addition to a host of ground support equipment to facilitate smooth operations of the air force. These include a bus, a fire combat vehicle, an ambulance, a modern refueling truck, a self support water supply system and generators.

Speaking at the ceremony, President John Dramani Mahama said, the provision of these hangars all over the country will provide a secure environment for the storage of aircrafts, thereby increasing their life span. He added that, it will enhance the capacity of the Air Force to maintain the increasing fleet of aircrafts been provided it by government.

?We must sustain the atmosphere of peace and security needed for the development of all sectors of the country, and if we must do that, we must continue to invest in the latest equipment not only for the Air Force, but for all the security agencies?.

He also added that the acquisition of new Z9 helicopters from China to be delivered to the Air Force in June 2015, plans to procure Super Tucano aircrafts and the construction of a new hangar at the Air Force Base in Tamale to be an anchor of the new infrastructure for a flight training school government intends to establish, are some of the government?s interventions to ensure that the Air Force is adequately equipped.

In relation to Ghana?s contribution to UN missions, he said, ?government is in the process of acquiring a CASA 295 aircraft, MI 35 helicopters to enable the Ghana Air Force to operate efficiently on peacekeeping missions in Mali, Ivory Coast and South Sudan?.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Michael Samson-Oje said, the hangars would serve the maintenance and safety needs of all aircrafts and accelerate transport expertise and technology of the service.

?We in the Air Force are not oblivious of the fact that these hangars are National assets borne out of the sweat of the tax payer. We promise to maintain and take good care of these vital assets and also promise to use them judiciously to perform our tasks efficiently to the benefit of our beloved nation?, he added.

The ceremony which was witnessed by the Minister for Defence, Honourable Benjamin Kumbuor, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, HE Irene Gala, Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Mathew Quarshie, Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier General Richard Opoku- Adusei, members of the council of state, retired Generals, high ranking officers and government appointees, also saw the C-in-C cut the ribbon for the new facility.

Source:?Sergeant Amoah Noel, Kingsley Adom and Kojo Nyeduala

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