Army prepares purchase of weapons, five aircraft and two coast guards with support from the US and Canada

Following the lifting of the US military embargo at the beginning of the year, The Guatemalan Army already has purchase orders for the acquisition of weapons and ammunition, as well as two coast guard vessels and spare parts to put into operation at least eight helicopters that remain out of service.

With Canada, meanwhile, an agreement was reached for the acquisition of five aircraft, within the framework of cooperation between governments.

The delivery processes are planned for both the second half of this year and the end of 2027.

“What we are doing with the United States, Colombia and now with Canada is buying new equipment, because the Guatemalan Army has equipment from the 1970s. It has a lot of old equipment. We had not been able to buy and we were only renewing with batches of donations provided by the United States,” he explained to Free press Henry Saenz, Minister of Defense, commenting on the planned investment programs.

He stated that there is “much more need”, but that acquisitions will be carried out gradually in terms of investment and renewal of air, aquatic and land fleets, as well as weapons and ammunition.

The preliminary investment identified amounts to Q490 million.

Defense prepares acquisitions

The Ministry of Defense (Mindef) already has the financial planning for the acquisition and modernization of equipment assigned to the defense area.

To complete these acquisitions, negotiations must be carried out from government to government. To do this, it is necessary to have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Ministry of Defense.

Defense will buy two coast guard

Saenz confirmed that, through the MOU with the United States, the purchase of weapons is carried out and that the entire administrative and financial process has already been developed.

This is a batch of individual rifles and collective weapons, such as machine guns, as well as their respective ammunition.

In addition, the program includes the purchase of two coast guard vessels, whose delivery is scheduled for 2027.

Currently, operations in national waters cover 400 nautical miles, but with these vessels the coverage could be expanded to up to a thousand nautical miles.

According to the minister, this will allow us to strengthen patrol work in national waters and expand the operational capacity of the National Defense Navy.

He added that only The date to make the payment of the coast guard is pending, which will be 110 feet long and whose delivery is scheduled for the end of 2027.

The estimated cost of each coast guard is Q70 million (between US$8 million and US$9 million), so the total investment will amount to Q140 million.

Two water ambulances will also be acquired to provide service in Lake Atitlán. These will be available in December 2026, because a greater demand for medical care is expected due to the opening of the new Sololá hospital.

It is projected that this healthcare center will directly benefit more than 945 thousand people and, indirectly, more than 814 thousand. The hospital will have 240 beds

Shortage of spare parts affects the FAG

The minister acknowledged that there are currently difficulties in acquiring a batch of spare parts for the Guatemalan Air Force (FAG) helicopters, so another strategy will be adopted to recover the fleet’s operability.

“There is a lot of difficulty in finding spare parts in the market, because the environment has become a bit complicated: very difficult to manage,” he said.

He explained that there is a slowness in the supply of spare parts to Guatemala, which is why will acquire a significant lot of parts to keep the fleet active.

Between six and eight helicopters remain out of service while awaiting the arrival of spare parts.

Will renew fleet with five aircraft

Within the framework of the MoU signed with the Canadian military industry, the Guatemalan Army will acquire equipment that will enter service during the second half of this year and in 2027.

The Investment in the aircraft amounts to Q350 million.

The minister confirmed the acquisition of five Canadian-made aircraft to renew the fleet of the Guatemalan Air Force (FAG): two Twin Otter and three Turbo Thrush, included in the agreement signed between both countries.

The Twin Otter They will be used to transport medicines, patients and food, while the Turbo Thrush They will be used to fight forest fires. The arrival of four aircraft is expected for the second half of the year, while the fifth is scheduled for 2027.

As part of this same agreement, the process was concluded for a commission of three Army officers to visit companies specialized in vehicle armor. There is interest in acquiring, in the future, units for military operations.

“This agreement reinforces Canada’s position as a trusted global partner and opens the door for our defense industry to supply high-quality capabilities to Guatemala, strengthening our industrial base and deepening long-term strategic ties,” said Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade of Canada, through a press release.

Purchases reflect new strategy

Independent analyst Douglas González provided a political perspective on the acquisition of weapons and coast guards after the lifting of the military embargo.

“More than a simple purchase of military equipment, this decision reflects a change in the strategic priorities of the bilateral relationship between Guatemala and the United States. The lifting of restrictions allows the modernization of capabilities that for years were limited, especially in maritime surveillance, territorial control and combating drug and human trafficking networks,” he stated.

According to González, in the current context these acquisitions respond to a security agenda shared between both governments.

These relations between both armies, according to González, “reflect one of the moments of greater rapprochement and cooperation in security matters in recent years. The constant visit of senior US officials linked to defense and national security, the strengthening of cooperation in ports, borders and the fight against organized crime, as well as the lifting of restrictions on the sale of weapons, show a relationship of strategic trust.”

In his opinion, Washington considers Guatemala a relevant partner within its hemispheric security policy.

Finally, the analyst indicated that the current authorities of the Ministry of Defense seem to be betting on recovering operational capabilities rather than increasing the size of the armed forces.

“The priority is to improve air mobility, control of maritime space and response capacity in operations against drug trafficking, human trafficking and other transnational threats. It can also be interpreted as a sign of alignment with the regional strategy promoted by the Trump administration, which has placed security, the fight against cartels and the control of illicit routes as central axes of its policy towards Latin America,” he pointed out.