—Budget soared by more than 800 per cent since 2020 – Army Chief Khan
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is no longer what it was five years ago. From cutting-edge technology to expanded training and modern defence assets, the GDF has undergone a quiet but powerful transformation, one that is reshaping its ability to meet today’s security challenges, said chief of defence staff Brigadier Omar Khan, speaking at the premiere of Safeguarding the Nation, aired on Tuesday.
Brigadier Khan revealed that since 2020, the GDF’s annual budget has surged more than 800 per cent, the largest proportional increase for any military in the world during that period.
“This was spread across several areas – technology, training, et cetera,” Brigadier Khan noted.
The army head revealed that the GDF is expected to be further boosted with a new ocean patrol vessel and additional aerial equipment.
“[This will help us to] monitor our airspace, and our Exclusive Economic Zone. So yes, we may be smaller, but we are being strategic. We are being smart, and we are being resolute,” Brigadier Khan posited.
According to the army chief, the GDF has employed what it calls the “Diplomacy, Information, Military, Economic (D.I.M.E) approach.”
“Integral in this process is our partnership; partnerships with the United States … the United Kingdom, CARICOM, France, Colombia, Brazil, all these nations who hold dear to them the values of peace, respect for international law,” Brigadier Khan explained.
While the GDF continues to expand its capabilities and upgrade its systems, Brigadier Khan made it clear that the military will not be pulled into political posturing, unlike Venezuela, whose aggressive behaviour over the Essequibo he described as more performance than actual threat.
“Venezuela and their claim to the Essequibo is more political theatre than a military threat. We, however, are being cautious as a defence force,” the chief of defence staff stated. He also noted that beyond traditional defence duties, the GDF is actively working with other law enforcement agencies to strengthen national security across the board.
This collaboration includes agencies like the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Fire Service, the Guyana Prison Service, the Guyana Customs and Anti-Narcotics Unit, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Revenue Authority.
“Crime, as a whole, in our remote regions and across all the borders [is being addressed] under a joint concept…the assets of the Defence Force are used to support surveillance, monitoring, transporting, and also interception as we confront these criminal enemies,” he posited, this collaborative approach, criminal entities will continue to be strongly confronted.
“I am confident that we will continue to confront these criminals. We will find them [and] we will apply what is necessary to bring them to justice,” Khan said.
In 2025, the Guyana Defence Force was allocated an estimated $50.4 billion from the national budget.
From this allocation, $2.1 billion was set aside for procuring facilities, vessels, and machinery for the marine department. These provisions emphasise the government’s commitment to equipping the GDF with the most up-to-date skills, knowledge and assets to address evolving threats.
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