Sounds like a great idea! Technology is most definitely the way to go, but when the politicians who make the final decision and their crony's are from the 70's and still operate with 1973 mentality how can we make this happen? Pay foreigners to operate it after getting their cut under -the-table? That said I hope the persons 'behind the monitors' will not be the same as the ones currently and shamelessly monitoring the criminals electronic ankle bracelets in The Bahamas. SMH, Exasperating!

I really doubt most of the leading politicians in this country even know how to use email. Getting them behind current technologies, even with under the table kickbacks would be an almost impossible task.

"... Mr McCartney acknowledged that the Defence Force has long lacked manpower and has been in need of equipment and facility upgrades. ... "

Sounds like the Bahamas got plenty people know how to use a gun. So me thinks, maybe make a mandatory 2 year service to your country in a defence force boot camp. This way ya get to shoot ya gun off as much as ya want, serve your country, and cut down on the people in jail.

:-)

Good acting job Comrade Bran for you to pretend how you is all new to the illegal immigration scene. Comrades isn't it too bad while we know what Bran, Bran "the advocate for public flogging" be talk'in ever since he own Bamboo Town constituents (whose knows him the best of all we) rejected him at the 2012 Genera Election polls, he talk nothing about how he whist the "junior minister" for immigration, would be adopting the advanced “border patrol technologies,” cause had he, the Crown's current "substantive" minister Freddy for immigration would already be taking advantage of these same hereto advance technologies left in place by the former junior immigration minister. You'll get my point?

Hasn't anyone figured it out yet? This Government is incapable of coming up with any unique or new ideas. They just piggy-back on the same old stuff even when it obviously does not work. No thinking for them outside of the box. Oh no. That's just too much!

Comrade GneralCrazy while others could see how you came by your name, regardless I like you as a good and "stable think'in" Comrade.

While better technology may assist the Defence Force in patrolling Bahamian waters, I can say with strong conviction that will not solve the problem.

The problem lies in these corrupt officers who see being on the Defence Force as an opportunity to cash in on the illegal operations of drug and human trafficking. You mean to tell me that we don't have enough assets readily available to properly patrol the waters. I think not... What we have is officers turning a blind eye because they have been paid a little something to allow the drugs and illegal immigrants to slip by.

If they were doing proper patrols I can't see how a 100ft vessel loaded with Haitians by-passes all the southern islands and finds it way to Nassau. Either these immigrants know Bahamian waters better than the Defence Force, or they are using the good old blind eye.

Go ahead and upgrade the Defence Force but while they are at it weed out all these corrupt officers. That might help with drug interdiction and human trafficking.

What needs to happen is this present government and governments prior, need to get their heads out the hole they sit on and move forward with the everchanfing time. I'm sure all of you watched the debate between Barak Obama when he said that the United States Army maybe be less in numbers these days but they also have less horses and bayonets. Come on people, I don't consider myself a genius, but why is it that none of our armed forces are equipt with a helicopter for patrolling purposes. For one, Helicopters can fly at an alarming rate and can cover further distances far more faster than any boat out there. Two, they are cost effective with lower maintenance and can accomidate multi-role platforms. This can include search and rescue, air ambulance, prevent drug intrudiction efforts, and border patrol for imigration purposes. Thirdly their cost is far less and will benefit this vast archipelago way better than these proposed dingys they plan on spending over 200m for. There is a company in Texas called American Eurocopter than can facilitate all the needs that these Bahamian islands need. What I see is the puchase of two search and rescue helicopters. One located on New Providence and the other based in Inagua. This way, while patrolling, they can radio the slower Defense Force boats where to intercepet these vessels. One also needs to be purchased for the police force to combat the criminal elements on the island of New Providence. Come to think of it, why don't they purchase one for the damn hospital as well. Why build a multi-million dollar facility and not have a heli-pad for emergency purposes. Come on people, we smarter than this. I guarantee you for all these helicopters I mentioned, it won't even run the taxpayers into 150m, and that includes pilot and maintenance crew training.

You are speaking as though the government give a squat about how they spend the Bahamian taxpayers money. That would be a smart idea to invest in helicopters and the training of Bahamians to operate them. But why would they do that- we have to maintain our third world status. Heaven forbid we step forward and make proper changes.