By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas National Unmanned Systems (BAHNUS) Academy held a graduation ceremony on Friday at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s Coral Harbour Base, marking the completion of its first training cycle in drone operations.

Seventeen participants and four instructors graduated from the academy’s seven-week programme, which provided operational and theoretical training in drone technology. The graduates included personnel from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Customs Department, the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Immigration, and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF).

Captain Carlon Bethell, deputy director of the RBDF and director of the BAHNUS Academy, said the training focused on the use of unmanned aerial and underwater systems for surveillance and reconnaissance. He said drones could be used to gather intelligence at sea, including information about vessels operating within Bahamian waters.

He cited the Accipiter drone currently in use by the RBDF — a gas-powered system capable of flying for 14 hours — as an example of how such technology could support surveillance in remote areas.

When asked about the role of the academy, Captain Bethell said it is part of a strategy to equip national security agencies with additional tools for monitoring, search and rescue, and data gathering.

Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe attended the ceremony and congratulated the graduates.

The BAHNUS Academy was initially launched in October 2024 aboard HMBS Coral Harbour. According to the RBDF, the academy’s training is designed to support multi-agency efforts in law enforcement and environmental monitoring.

RBDF officials say the programme reflects an effort to incorporate more technology into national security operations and to foster regional cooperation in drone-related fields.