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The Coast Guard will now be able to protect Belize's waters even from the air with the establishment of their Drone Squadron. The squadron is equipped with two fuel-injected hybrid military drones, one of which was showcased today. The drone was flown out to a boat in the sea and picked up a special token for the Prime Minister.

But of course, the drone can do a lot more than that, as the Minister of National Defense and the Coast Guard's commandant explained.

Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of National Defense & Border Security
"They're venturing into the domain of unmanned air systems. This new capability empowers our Coast Guard with the cutting -edge technology required to conduct operations along our maritime border and beyond line -of -sight well into our exclusive economic zone."

"The Coast Guard is now able to conduct aerial surveillance in areas previously inaccessible due to distance and sea-state limitations."

Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"The Perimeter 8 will conduct aerial support operations for conservation efforts while simultaneously supporting the 22 other missions that the Coast Guard is chartered to conduct."

"The drone squadron will be charged with delivering intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition in support of the 1st and 2nd Fleet. Raw data will be processed into intelligence and shared not only with Coast Guard units but also across the interagency for the development of the common operating picture in support of maritime governance."

"A pilot station that could be stationed here at the Coast Guard headquarters will be able to conduct surveillance operations from here to San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye. A pilot station here will be able to conduct surveillance all along the coast from this location to Commerce Bight Pier in Dangriga."

"A pilot station at our forward operating base at Hunting Caye will easily be able to patrol the Corona Reef and the entire Gulf of Honduras. A station out at our forward operating base at Calabash Caye. will be able to easily patrol our three atolls in support of our maritime operations."

"Just imagine a Coast Guard search and rescue unit deployed in order to locate a vessel in distress or a person in water. These drones will be able to support that from the air with identifying exactly where the distress vessel or the person is located and deliver a payload of about 22 pounds. Whether that's life -saving equipment, life jackets, medical care, that this Coast Guard surface asset may not be able to get on scene before."

And the aerial capabilities are only one part of this newly formed squadron:

Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"One of those initiatives that was approved by the Coast Guard Board only about three months ago was the development of a Coast Guard second fleet. Now this is a three -dimensional fleet that includes air, surface and subsurface operations."

"The air operations, the air dimension is what you're seeing here today. These UAVs will be complemented by surface assets, the acquisition of two coastal patrol boats that will form the surface component of that second fleet and will be able to bridge the gaps that currently exist in our exclusive economic zone."

"The third dimension, which is a subsurface component, includes our dive team and those guys will be equipped with underwater drones for the conduct of the their operations."

And the Prime Minister added that this new equipment goes a long way in protecting Belize's marine space:

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We recognize the Blue Economy's vital role in poverty reduction, economic transformation and environmental protection. But a thriving Blue Economy cannot exist without effective monitoring and enforcement of our ocean space."

"We must ensure the long -term sustainability of our marine ecosystems, securing the foundation upon which our economic growth and national developments are built. We are leading by example in addressing the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity laws, pollution and climate change."

"Our actions are not just about ticking off the boxes, it is about delivering tangible, positive outcomes that resonate far beyond our borders."

The drones are capable of flying up to 5 hours at a range of 110 miles at a maximum altitude of 13,000 feet. They are also equipped with an Infrared stabilized camera, which can also be utilized at night. The total investment amounts to over $525,000.