The Ministry of National Defense of Guatemala is putting out to tender preventive maintenance and repairs for radars and auxiliary equipment.
Guatemala Government Purchase 7961472:
"Preventive maintenance and repairs are requested for the radar equipment and auxiliary equipment that make up the ASRS-10D3 radar systems at the Ministry of National Defense.
The Ministry of National Defense in Guatemala has awarded the Spanish company Indra Sistemas a contract for the supply and installation of three radars.
The Spanish company was the only bidder in the tender called by the government of Guatemala, which eventually won the contract worth $33 million, on January 6 this year.
The Army is evaluating the acquisition of helicopters for strengthening surveillance of aircraft entering the territory illegally.
At a public meeting, the chief of defense, Manuel Lopez, confirmed that the Army is looking at buying helicopters as part of an "aerial platform" that would improve its monitoring of illicit aircraft entering the country. It has also initiated the process in Congress of borrowing the money which will be used to purchase two vessels.
President Otto Perez has said that although they have ruled out the option of buying fighter jets from Brazil they will carry on with the process to acquire three radars and a control center.
The government has withdrawn from the purchase of 6 Super Tucano aircraft because of an overvaluation of $18 million, however, "we are looking at how we can save the purchase of radars and a control center," said Perez.
The suspension has been ordered of a $133 million disbursement for the purchase of six Super Tucano airplanes which were to be used to control of the country's airspace.
From a press release published in Diario de Centro América:
"We have doubts about whether the six Super Tucanos are overvalued. There were negotiated by the last government," indicated President Otto Perez Molina, referring to the suspension of the disbursement for $133 million for the acquisition of these light attack aircraft, to be used for airspace control.
Embraer announced the sale to the Central American country of 6 Super Tucano fighter planes, plus 3 primary radars and a command control system, at an estimated cost of more than $170 million.
Although the Brazilian company did not disclose the amount paid by Guatemala, estimates made at the beginning of purchase negotiations last summer point to a minimum of $170 million as the amount of the contract, which includes logistical operational support and training for pilots and mechanics.
The control of drug traffic by air in Guatemala is ineffective because of lack of a monitoring system with primary and secondary radars which should also include a multinational information center.
An article in Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "The discovery of a plane with 405 kilos of cocaine in Retalhuleu and the landing of another aircraft that had unloaded a drug shipment, exposed the lack of technology to control drug traffic by air in the country. According to Armando Asturias, Controller of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the control of illegal aircraft requires the installation of at least five radars. "
The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing is inviting bids for the purchase of a meteorological doppler radar.
The Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology in compliance with the BCIE Project "Expansion and Improvement, and Modernization of the Equipment in the Seismological Monitoring Network, Meteorological and Hydrological for the Prevention of Natural Disasters" is putting out to tender the Purchase of a meteorological doppler radar.
Representatives from chambers of commerce and from the Monetary Board have rejected contracts for 2 loans for $166 million for the purchase of aircraft.
Applications for loans of $133 million to the National Bank of Economic and Social Development of Brazil (BNDES) for the purchase of 6 Embraer aircraft and $33 million for the purchase of radars with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) of Spain are intended to finance a project submitted by the Ministry of Defense.
The Civil Aviation Authority is awaiting approval by Congress, for the purchase of three radars that would cover the whole territory.
The head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), Juan José Carlos, said the radars would be located in Port San Jose (Escuintla), Puerto Barrios (Izabal) and Flores (Petén) and would therefore cover the whole country.
Plans are for the installation of a radar in the Playa Grande area in the northeast of the country and for the changing of the radios and radars at the La Aurora airport.
Those with priority are the Mundo Maya airport in Peten (north) and the airports at Port San Jose (Pacific) and Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean coast, Juan Jose Carlos, press officer for Civil Aviation, commented.