US donates equipment to three Central American partners
The Belize Defence Force is taking delivery of heavy-duty trucks from US stocks. (Photo: US Embassy in Belize)
The US is supplying aircraft and vehicles to the armed forces of three Central American nations to help them meet regional security and defence needs.
The defence and security forces of Belize, Guatemala and Panama received vehicles and aircraft from the US throughout October as Washington aims to assist its Central American partners in cracking down on internal and transnational criminal activity.
On 17 October, the US donated one Beechcraft Super King Air 250 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) to Panama. This will be utilised by Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) for surveillance operations to combat illegal fishing, maritime drug trafficking and for SAR missions. Donation of the aircraft, valued at over $12 million, was made via the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC). The transfer
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