By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net 

DEFENCE Force Commodore Raymond King said yesterday that the procurement process for vessel repairs is too bureaucratic and urgently needs to be streamlined.

Commodore King, who is set to demit office this week, said delays in funding approvals have hindered timely repairs to critical ships.

He said he raised the issue with the financial secretary and other government officials, urging them to create special provisions for the armed forces to shorten procurement lead times.

“If you have vessels that are down and you are unable to get them repaired timely, hurricanes may pop up, national crisis may occur, and those vessels need to move,” he said.

His comments came after National Security Minister Wayne Munroe acknowledged major setbacks in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s fleet, noting that several vessels remain out of service due to damage or scheduled maintenance.

Commodore King said managing vessels is costly and complex, and such challenges are expected.

He explained that the RBDF fleet operates on a rotation schedule, meaning not all ships are at sea simultaneously. He said each vessel should undergo dry docking annually and be refitted every four years.

However, he stressed the need for sufficient funding to support these requirements.

Commodore King warned that failing to secure the necessary resources could lead to a downward spiral, where decisions have to be made about which vessels receive maintenance or dry docking. Over time, this would reduce operational availability and shorten the vessels’ lifespan due to neglecting necessary maintenance and refits.

He said he aimed to shift the organisation from reactive to preventative maintenance and implemented a three-year service agreement with Damen, a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company, to certify engineers and ensure they followed a comprehensive maintenance schedule.

He said despite routine upkeep, unexpected incidents like groundings can still occur, with repairs delayed due to long wait times in the procurement procsss.

He said delays are often worsened by the need to order parts from Europe.

He said delays are further compounded by scheduling issues with shipyards, which can take months to accommodate a vessel.

Despite the challenges, Commodore King said the Defence Force has done a good job fulfilling its duties.

Asked about his recommendations to boost accountability in the force, he suggested a stricter vetting process for officers assigned to sensitive areas.

He recommended that a second layer of vetting be carried out when officers transfer to different departments in addition to the initial security vetting. This should include a review of their financial backgrounds to determine if they are bankrupt or financially strained.