Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday took note of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Caribbean’s maritime security, with Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana HE Judy Kpogho and officials of HENSOLDT UK.
HENSOLDT UK, formerly known as Kevin Hughes Limited, is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of maritime navigation and surveillance radar systems.
During the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Camp Street, he was briefed on the operations of the company by a team including Development, Business and Trade Country Manager, Sherwyn Naughton and Business Development and Operations Director Security Solutions, Richard Perdergast.
The core product technology of HENSOLDT UK, according to its website, is its SharpEye™ radars, used by commercial customer and defence agencies to deliver tactical and situational awareness and supported by innovative radar display software through a system that is compliant to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) performance standards.
This system is reportedly able to detect very small Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets even in severe weather or high clutter conditions.
During the meeting, Phillips was also informed about the company’s ongoing collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to develop a regional strategy for maritime domain awareness across the Caribbean region.
Established by the 27th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in 2006, CARICOM IMPACS aims to serve as the implementation arm of the Regional Architecture to manage CARICOM’s action agenda on crime and security.
Some of its core functions include coordinating with national and international crime prevention and control agencies to determine trends and strategies for crime prevention in the Region, and disseminating this information to contracting parties.
Among a number of maritime security issues, CARICOM IMPACS seeks to address trafficking and smuggling of firearms, illicit drugs, people, counterfeit goods, and other items, theft of other natural resources, illegal migration, illegal dumping and pollution of the environment, terrorism, and Illegal, Unreported or Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.
Andrade Gutierrez
The Prime Minister on Wednesday also met with representatives of Brazil’s largest construction company, Andrade Gutierrez, and relayed available investment opportunities in Guyana’s public infrastructure sector which is rapidly developing.
Present at this meeting were the company’s Commercial Director for Mexico-Guyana, Eduardo Villas Boas and Chief Executive Officer of Excel Guyana Inc., Kris Sammy.
Founded in 1948 by the Andrade and Gutierrez families, the Brazilian private multinational conglomerate has three separate divisions.
These are AG Engenharia (Construtora Andrade Gutierrez), which engages in engineering and construction; AG Concessões, which handles public projects, concessions and utilities; and AG Telecom, which provides telecommunication services.
