Parliament Approves $60m Deal for New Ghana Air Force Aircraft

Parliament has approved a $60 million agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Dassault Aviation for the purchase of a Falcon 6X aircraft for the Ghana Air Force. In the same sitting, legislators also endorsed a €125 million agreement with Airbus Helicopters SAS for the acquisition of one H160 and three H175 helicopters.

According to the government, the procurement forms part of a wider retooling and modernisation programme to address the deteriorating state of the Air Force fleet and enhance its operational readiness.

However, the move has stirred debate in Parliament, with the Minority caucus questioning why similar acquisition requests were rejected in previous years. They have demanded clarity on what has changed to justify the sudden approval.

The approval follows an earlier announcement by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on Thursday, November 13, indicating that government plans to procure four modern helicopters, one long-range aircraft, and one medium-range aircraft starting in 2026. These new assets are expected to be delivered within four years.

The additions will support a wide range of Air Force missions, including aerial surveillance, troop and logistics transport, maritime patrols, air defence, disaster response, and medical evacuations. Dr. Forson explained that the current fleet is ageing, expensive to maintain, and insufficient to meet operational demands.

Former Defence Minister and Bimbilla MP Dominic Nitiwul reiterated the critical need for a strategic aircraft lift capability to strengthen national defence.

“I keep saying that if there is anybody in this room who knows the needs of the military, I have served them for eight years… It is not in our interest as a country not to have a strategic lift. We need it,” he stressed.

He challenged the government to explain its previous resistance to similar procurements:

“The government should own up. You want to buy two – own up, apologise to the people of Ghana, and convince us why you rejected the purchase for the last five years, and today you want to buy two: one long-range and one medium-size.”

The approved aircraft packages mark one of the largest recent investments in Ghana’s military aviation, signalling an intensified effort to boost defence capabilities.