The Skyship 600 blimp is the only aircraft that can sustain air surveillance for hours at a time and it is a loss to national security to sell it, former minister in the National Security Ministry of the former PNM administration, Donna Cox, says. Cox, MP for Laventille East/Morvant, who served as minister when the former administration purchased the blimp for US$15 million was yesterday responding to the Government's reported sale of the Skyship at a paltry US$50,000. Cox felt part of the reason the Government chose to sell the blimp may be because they "bad talked" its purchase when they were in opposition. "But in the interest of national security they should have kept it," she said yesterday.
"It is really disappointing the Government chose to sell it. Even after they came into government they would have realised the capacity of the blimp and kept it. "The blimp can have continuous air surveillance for some eight hours at a time, unlike a helicopter or any other type of aircraft." She said it is a waste of taxpayers' money to sell the blimp at a loss. Cox said the blimp has provided necessary information in the past, not only to the protective services, but also the fire services. She said the maintenance cost of the blimp would have been drastically reduced now, too, because the previous administration spent money to properly train locals to do the job.
"This could not be an issue." Neither was the blimp in such disrepair that it had to be disposed of, she said. "That is not true at all. Unless they left it to go bad," Cox said. Cox also criticised the sale of three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) by the Government to Brazil. The three vessels were originally built for T&T, according to local national security specifications, at a 133 million-pound contract. The contract was cancelled by the Government in 2010.
"The same way they bad-talked the OPVs, they decided not to keep it," Cox said. "I am really disheartened to know the OPVs are gone." She said the vessels were necessary in blocking the influx of drugs and guns through the borders of T&T. She said the Government kept talking about fighting crime but the blimp and the OPVs were important implements in tackling the problem. Former national security minister in the previous administration, Martin Joseph, said he had no comment to make on the matter. A report yesterday stated that Government had taken a decision to sell the blimp to the highest bidder, an undisclosed American company.
Well-placed sources said the transaction was expected to take place shortly but the blimp can be considered already sold. The Finance and General Purpose Committee reportedly gave the approval. The source said Government was advised that keeping the blimp helium-charged at Camp Cumuto was costing too much money. Reports are that the blimp is now showing signs of wear and tear and is rusting in some places.