By Halima Athumani
ENTEBBE AIRBASE, Uganda
The Ugandan army has received two Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft worth nearly $15 million from the U.S. to boost its capacities, particularly in Somalia.
"These aircraft symbolize the depth of the reliability of the [bilateral] relationship," U.S. Charge d'Affaires Patricia Marhoney said at a handover ceremony held at Entebbe Airbase.
She asserted that the two aircraft would have a direct and immediate impact on continued efforts by the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) Air Force "to promote vigilance and stability and fight terrorists."
Marhoney said the aircraft would not only help transport troops and equipment, but also noted that each came with medical equipment needed to help war casualties.
"This increases the chances that Ugandan soldiers wounded in battle will receive lifesaving treatment in immediate time," added the diplomat.
She praised the UPDF for its willingness to take action against groups like the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Al-Shabaab militant group.
"Uganda understands the role it has to play in concert with multilateral bodies like the UN or the African Union if Uganda and East Africa are going to achieve their collective development goals," Marhoney asserted.
Uganda has the largest contingent in the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), with 6,223 troops.
To man the two aircraft, the U.S. has trained eight pilots, eight technicians and eight medics.
Gen. Samuel Turyagenda, Ugandan air force commandant, revealed that a training course had kicked off Monday and would end on April 10.
In August of 2012, three Ugandan helicopters crashed in Kenya while en route to Somalia.
Uganda has made several requests to the UN – so far unsuccessful – to compensate it for the losses.
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Marhoney explained that it would be a very long process before the aircraft could be delivered.
"From the time the first request goes in to the time they actually arrive, it's an acquisition process that generally takes three years from the time it's requested," she told The Anadolu Agency.
Col. Patrick Anderson, defense attaché at the U.S. mission in Uganda, noted that military cooperation with Uganda had been very broad for a number of years.
"But we have not engaged in air force matters in equipment terms like this," he told AA.
"We've done air force training, but not equipment on this scale," asserted Anderson. "It's just a matter of growth."
American officials note that, since the UPDF joined AMISOM in 2007, the battlefield had changed dramatically.
"The UPDF was the only army and it was really an urban fight," Anderson recalled.
"But now, they're fighting in the countryside. That's why there is a great need for mobility of such aircraft in the battlefield, to move soldiers around the battlefield quickly," he said.
Anderson also revealed that the two countries' armies were still in discussions to determine the right type and number of aircraft, so as to provide the UPDF with more support and make it more effective in Somalia.
Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, chief of defense forces, noted that Uganda and the US enjoyed a great partnership, especially since the UPDF joined AMISOM.
"It is that partnership that has enabled us not only to create capacity within the UPDF, but in all areas such as the air force, foot soldiers through training, communication," he said.
"You have been able to improve our capacity greatly," he added.
"I don't know whether people know how painful it is for a commander… to see a soldier bleeding to death simply because you can't evacuate," Wamala said. "It's very painful and highly demoralizing to the rest of the troops."
He asserted that the 30 minutes between when a soldier is injured to when he is evacuated is critical.
"Now that you have given us this capacity, it will guarantee the lives of our soldiers in whatever operations," Wamala told U.S. officials.
The chief of defense forces said the UPDF was proud that Washington had identified it as partner with which to promote regional security and stability.
"Democracy and all the values proudly advocated for by the U.S. will make sense when there is security," he told the gathering.
Wamala asserted that U.S. support for the UPDF in Somalia had been tremendous.
"This support is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of our infantry vehicles and equipment used on the ground – 90 percent – has been provided by the U.S.," he said.
