Ghana strengthens military ties with France to modernise air and naval power — Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening defence cooperation with France as part of efforts to modernise the country’s air and naval capabilities.
Speaking during the presentation of credentials by the French Ambassador to Ghana H. E. Diarra Dime Labille, at the Presidency, President Mahama said ongoing collaboration with France is central to strengthening Ghana’s military readiness, particularly in addressing gaps in air power and maritime security.
“With the kind intervention of President Macron, we made a new acquisition of helicopters, four of them. One has been delivered and we have a timetable for the delivery of the others,” President Mahama stated.
He explained that the helicopter acquisition is aimed at rebuilding Ghana’s air defence capacity, which has faced years of strain due to ageing equipment.
“This is to help the air capacity of the Ghana military, which has been quite degraded over the years. And we have had to rely on aged equipment,” he said.
President Mahama commended France and Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) for facilitating the accelerated delivery of the aircraft, describing the cooperation as valuable to Ghana’s defence modernisation agenda.
“So the fact that Eurocopter has fast-tracked the supply of the helicopters is something we are appreciative of,” he noted.
Beyond air capabilities, the President disclosed that government is also pursuing an offshore patrol vessel programme to enhance the Ghana Navy’s ability to respond to growing maritime threats, including piracy.
“There’s an outstanding programme for the acquisition of offshore patrol vessels to enhance the capacity of the Navy to deal with the increasing incidence of piracy,” he said.
He added that discussions are ongoing with international financial institutions to secure the necessary approvals for the procurement, stressing that maritime security remains a national priority.
“We have been in discussion with the IMF… to give us a waiver to be able to acquire those offshore patrol vessels because it has to do with security. And security is important,” President Mahama explained.
He further highlighted Ghana’s strong security partnership with France, particularly in intelligence sharing and training, describing it as a key pillar in efforts to combat terrorism risks in the sub-region.
“We have a very good cooperation with France when it comes to terrorism in terms of intelligence sharing, in terms of training, and we want to continue to keep that work going,” he said.
