The British government of Prime Minister David Cameron says it must downsize the already minimal contingent of British Forces in Belize. The formal announcement came today in the form of a press release issued by the Belize Ministry of Defence. The exercise to reduce and close some military bases worldwide came shortly after the UK conducted a Strategic Defence and Security Review of its national security and defence priorities. Britain is facing tough economic times, and with both its regional and international security commitments spread thin across the globe, the UK public expenditure has been placed under tight scrutiny. Whilst the training base known in Belize as BATSUB won't face closure, its operations will be significantly scaled back from 70 soldiers to a skeleton staff of less than 10, effective next January. The BATSUB Commander told us more today at Price Barracks:..
Lt. Col. Rob Lindsay, Commander BATSUB
"In January 2011 BATSUB will be identical to what it is at the moment, but sadly we will be reducing throughout the duration of 2011 and then in 2012. At the end of that process I would expect a British element between 6 and 8 soldiers and a locally employed element of just over 60 locally employed civilians. At the moment we are going to go through a reduction, but the key thing is that BATSUB will continue to exist, we will continue to train out here and at a strategic level government to government and the General who was visiting over the last two days had an extremely good office call your Prime Minister yesterday. At a strategic level the two governments are working hand in hand and a strategic partnership that we have had for many years between our two nations is going to continue."
Commander of Belize Defence Forces, Brigadier General Dario Tapia says the downsizing of BATSUB's operations will have minimal impact on the BDF, but expressed concern about losing Helicopter support for his forces.
Brig. Gen. Dario Tapia, Commander BDF
"The only concern I have is that - we have expressed this to the British - is the helicopter support, that is where I see being affecting us, or that's the main effect that I will see. Really and truly BATSUB has assisted with some limited support because most of our training that they offer by the British army - we send our fellows to the UK and so I don't see
that affecting our training. As a matter of fact with the General that came yesterday that gave the news to the government, they offer some courses that will be available for us next year and so the training in the UK will continue, I don't see that being affected and as I mentioned its only the helicopter support."
The helicopters are used to ferry BDF soldiers to remote positions on the Belize - Guatemala border. According to Tapia, the British have committed Helicopter support until May of next year at which time he believes the BDF should have adequate contingency plans to fill the gap. More than a hundred civilian jobs will be lost due to the withdrawal. A report in the British newspaper, The Telegraph states that the British government will be saving an estimated 9 million pounds as a result of the reduction in forces across the globe….
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