Seychelles receives second Dornier aircraft from India |27 June 2018

Seychelles has received a second Dornier aircraft from the Indian Government.

The HAL-DO-228(SEY011) surveillance aircraft was handed over to President Danny Faure yesterday morning by the Indian Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, at the Indian Naval Air Station, New Delhi.

The aircraft will be used for security and maritime surveillance of our 1.4 square kilometre exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by the Seychelles Air Force (SAF) of the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF).

President Faure said the plane will arrive in time to participate in our National Day celebrations on June 29 and this will be a proud testimony of India’s devotion and commitment to the people of Seychelles.

The whole Seychelles delegation was present at the handover, including the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Charles Bastienne, the Minister for Habitat, Land, infrastructure and land Transport Pamela Charlette, secretary of state for Poverty Alleviation Dick Esparon, secretary of state for Finance Patrick Payet, secretary of state for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Barry Faure, secretary of state for Presidential Affairs Aude Labaleine and Seychelles’ Ambassador to India Philippe Le Gall.

Also present to witness the handover were the Commanding Officer of SAF, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Pouponneau and three SAF officers -- Captain Don Du Preez (pilot), Lieutenant Julio Hoareau (co-pilot) and Lance-Corporal Christian Bau (engineer).

The high commissioner of India to Seychelles, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, was also present.

After inspecting the aircraft, President Faure was led for the formal handover ceremony where Minister Swaraj presented him with the plane’s travel documents while the Minister of State for External Affairs, General V.K Singh, presented President Faure with the commemorative key of the aircraft.

The aircraft left the Indian Naval Air Station shortly after the ceremony and is expected in Seychelles on June 28 after an overnight stop in Bangalore, India then to Maldives and Seychelles.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Faure said the handover of the second Dornier aircraft marks another milestone in defence collaboration between India and Seychelles.

“On behalf of the people of Seychelles I would like to say thank you to the government and people of India,” President Faure said, noting that the aircraft will join forces with the first Dornier given to Seychelles by India in 2013 for rescue operations, air surveillance and securing our EEZ against illegal fishing, drug trafficking and other criminal acts at sea.

President Faure told his Indian counterparts that since the establishment of relations in 1976 between Seychelles and India, the major collaboration with India has been in the defence which has resulted with India donating many military equipment such as three patrol boats given in the past to the Seychelles Coast Guard besides the two Dorniers.

“India has always been an excellent partner to Seychelles. Be it during the height of piracy in the Indian Ocean, be it in the capacity building and equipment of our armed forces. India has helped built SPDF to the force that it is today,” President Faure said, noting the various cooperation in maritime surveillance, capacity building held locally and in India, joint military exercises, goodwill visits by the Indian Navy and their participation in our National Day parade.

To Minister Swaraj, President Faure said: “Please rest assured that Seychelles will remain a faithful friend and a partner to India. Long live our healthy relations.”

For her part, Minister Swaraj said that as maritime neighbours, India and Seychelles have always been strong security partners with the Indian navy doing patrols to help Seychelles to secure its economic zone.

The gifting of the Dornier to Seychelles was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to Seychelles in 2015 and Minister Swaraj said that with the fullfilling of this commitment she was happy to be handing over this second state-of-the-art Dornier aircraft to Seychelles.

Minister Swaraj added that the aircraft is a gift to the people of Seychelles on the occasion of our National Day and that it will fulfill its duty to make our EEZ safe from maritime threats.

“So I wish the Dornier a smooth, turbulence-free flight across the water that links our two countries,” Minister Swaraj said.

After the ceremony President Faure and Minister Swaraj, accompanied by other guests, signalled the departure of the Dornier, captained by Du Preez assisted by his two colleagues.

The Dornier-228, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is equipped with combination of 360 degree surveillance radar, forward looking infra-red system, satellite communication, traffic collision and aeronautic systems, enhanced ground proximity warning system and other specialised sensors. It is a high wing monoplane with a cantilevered wing and two turbo engines in wing-mounted pod. With two crew in the cockpit, the cabin can accommodate 19 passengers in commuter configuration.

Lt Col. Michael Pouponneau, the Commanding Officer of the Seychelles Air Force, said: “The second Dornier will provide the Air Force with greater capabilities and enhance our operational readiness to patrol the vast EEZ of our country in detecting maritime crimes and protecting our blue economy.”

Text and photos Patrick Joubert in India