Acting Commander of the Defence Force Tellis Bethel makes a presentation of the Sandy Bottom Project and history of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to give insight to the Rotarians of the Rotary Club West Nassau at Poop Deck, Sandy Port.
The “Sandy Bottom Project” represents the single largest capital investment the Government of the Bahamas has ever made in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force since its inception in 1980. Total cost of the project is $232 million dollars. This Project includes the acquisition of patrol craft, dredging of harbours and the development of bases and port facilities.
The Sandy Bottom Project will facilitate the implementation of the Defence Force’s decentralization program over the next two years. This extensive program includes the development of Defence Force bases at strategic locations in the northern, central and southern Bahamas, along with deployment of personnel, ships and aircraft. This strategy will also enable the Defence Force to provide operational coverage of the Bahamas’ 100,000-square-mile maritime domain in the fight against illegal migration, poaching of marine resources, arms smuggling, illicit narcotics, human trafficking and potential terrorist related activities. The decentralization strategy will also enhance the Defence Force’s overall efficiency in conducting search and rescue and disaster relief operations, in addition to maintaining marine navigational aids for the safety of lives at sea and ashore.
