People’s National Movement (PNM) Point Fortin candidate, retired major general Edmund Dillon, says the idea of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) to man the country’s boders came from the Defence Force. Making his maiden speech during the PNM’s meeting at Pt D’or, La Brea, on Saturday night, Dillon said he could not stay out of the politics of T&T because of the state of affairs.
“When I look at the state of affairs in my country that I gave 36 years to I cannot retire, when I consider the crime situation I cannot retire, when I consider the break down of institutions I cannot retire, when I consider the cancellation of the OPVs I cannot retire,” he told the gathering. “Under my watch we made a strategic plan that put forward the OPVs. It was not a political decision, it was based on a strategic plan from the Defence Force.
“When we looked at the environment it was determined that we need offshore patrol vessels to patrol our waters. I will tell you why—for you see what we don’t realise is that at the time that we asked for offshore patrol vessels the US Shiprider vessel was pulled out for services entirely. “The UK guardship that operated in the West Indies was pulled out of the Caribbean —the military attache from Barbados was pulled out—so there was an absence from assistance from our international partners to deal with our territorial waters.”
If T&T and it shores are to be protected, he said the OPV is the only vessel capable of efficiently doing that. “Don’t be fooled. Anything to replace an offshore patrol vessel must be an OPV and the ones we had included platforms. Now we see they are buying a logistic vessel to support a vessel—the OPV had everything, included helicopter pad, offshore interceptor guarantee.”
“Over the last four years we were denied a presence out in our territorial waters what was the response? What was the effect? More guns, more drugs. We have a crime situation now that cannot even deal with it.” The PNM’s contract with a British shipbuilding firm to build three OPVs was scrapped when the People’s Partnership Government came into office in 2010.
Also dismissing the perception that the National Operations Centre is a new concept, Dillon said during 2009 ICC Cricket World Cup and Summit of Americas, the NOC was designed at the Defence Force headquarters, where they ran the entire show. He said the concept of the NOC therefore started under the PNM.