TT Army status coming

He also said and he could not wait for the day when the TTDF would be called the TT Army.

TTDF Civil Military Affairs officer, Capt Al Alexander, yesterday said only Cabinet approval is needed for this to happen.

Addressing a handing over ceremony of $2M worth of military equipment from the PLA to the TTDF at Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas, on Monday, Joseph said the governments of TT and China have had a longstanding tradition of mutual support and cooperation over the last 30 years. The minister said TT has hosted six Chinese military delegations from July 1999 to May 2004, which were “aimed at promoting military exchanges and strengthening the bonds of mutual understanding between our two countries.”

Apart from timely donations of equipment, Joseph said military training has been an important part of TT-China relations. He said seven TTDF officers have undergone training in China to date and in February, the Chinese offered training for three TTDF officers in the area of command and special operations. Joseph said these training programmes “are a welcome addition to the Defence Force tactical training regime” and he was looking forward to the day when the TTDF could be formally classified as an army.

Capt Alexander told Newsday that in terms of numbers, the TTDF now comprises four battalions and a complement of additional personnel. A battalion is defined as a military unit comprising two to six companies led by an officer at the rank of Lt Colonel. A company consists of 100 to 200 soldiers. He explained this means the TTDF is numerically up to the size of an army and all that was required Cabinet approval for the Force to be officially classified as an army.

Major General Ma Zhongsheng said the People’s Republic of China was pleased to donate the equipment to the TTDF and TT-China ties continue to strengthen. General Zhongsheng noted that both countries have been collaborating extensively in several areas and he was confident that TT-China ties were moving into “a new era of progress.”

Last week, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Valley revealed that steps were being taken to establish a TT Embassy in China and negotiate an air transportation agreement between the two countries. He also said both nations have begun talks for cooperation in the area of agriculture, given the expertise of the Chinese in this area and Government’s own initiatives to find ways to reduce rising food prices.

The handover of the Chinese equipment comes one week after Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced an agreement with the British government to build three offshore patrol vessels for the Coast Guard. The agreement also involves Royal Navy training for Coast Guard personnel to operate and maintain the vessels.