The Guatemalan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca: FAG) has received one Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX light transport and liaison aircraft donated by the US, the Guatemalan Ministry of Defence said on 4 November.
A senior Guatemalan air force officer told Jane's during a conference on responses to natural disasters at the Inter-American Defence Board in Washington, DC, that the aircraft (tail number 630) will be helpful for relief operations and evacuation missions. The officer noted that the aircraft could also be used by Guatemala's humanitarian and search unit (Unidad Humanitaria y de Rescate: UHR).
The Central American country is prone to natural disasters, the most recent of which was the 3 June eruption of the Fuego volcano by the Escuintla department that killed more than a hundred, with thousands having to be evacuated.
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