GHANA ARMED FORCES NOW LED BY FOUR-STAR GENERAL

The Commander-In-Chief (C-In-C), Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and President of the Republic of Ghana – His Excellency (HE) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has promoted the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of Ghana’s Military, from the rank of Lieutenant General (Lt Gen), to a Four-Star General.

The C-In-C made the declaration in the House of Parliament of Ghana, on Friday 3 January 2025, as he delivered his final statutory State of the Nation Address, to the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana, as he attained the end of his second term as President.

Similarly, the C-In-C has promoted the Offices of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), and the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), to Lieutenant General, Vice Admiral, and Air Marshal, respectively, from their previous 2-Star General status.

General (Gen) Thomas Yaw Oppong-Peprah, thus becomes the first CDS, GAF, as a four-star General, however, he becomes the third 4-star General in GAF since establishment in 1957, after Gen Joseph Arthur Ankrah and Gen Ignatius Kutu Acheampong – the two being previous Heads of State of Ghana, and not as CDS of GAF.

Since 2015, GAF planned an elaborate expansion drive, to spread its presence thin across the country, to deal with the contemporary threats in the West African region, and to contain security threats from violent extremist and terrorist groups along Ghana’s northern frontiers, as well as other internal security challenges.

Real works commenced in 2017, within which period of enlargement, the 15 Armoured Brigade, 17 Signal Brigade, 14 Engineer Brigade, Army Special Operations Brigade, Army Peace Operations Training School (APOTS), 10, 11 and 12 Mechanized Battalions, 154 and 155 Armoured Regiments, have been established.

Other Units established are 851 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment, 87 and 93 Signal Regiments, Army Special Operations Training School (ASOTS), Armour Training School (ATRS) 50 and 51 Engineer Regiments, with 52 Support Engineer Regiment and some others in the offing.

The Ghana Navy has established the Naval Training Command, Riverine Command, Naval Logistics Command, amongst others.

Ghana Army has been equipped with about 104 armored personnel carriers, 70 utility troop carrying vehicles, 20 armored vehicles, 85 assorted Toyota vehicles, 50 Ankai buses, 40 Jeep J8 vehicles, EOD equipment, large quantities of communications surveillance equipment, varying quantities of weapons and ammunitions, unmanned aerial vehicle systems, body armour and optical and critical mass of night vision equipment.

Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) have been established at Bawku, Bimbilla, Bole, Bunkprugu, Damango, Dollar Power, Hamile, Jirapa, Nalerigu, Navrongo, Saboba, Tumu, with Forward Logistics Base (FLBs) in Wa, and Bolgatanga, and the Main Logistics Base (MLB) in Tamale.

Ghana Navy has an FOB at Ezinlibo, which also serves as the Headquarters of its Logistics Command, whiles Ghana Army and the Air Force jointly operate FOB Bui.

Ghana has embarked on an elaborate process of upgrading the housing needs of its military with the government’s Barracks Regeneration Project phases 1 and 2, the Military Housing Project phases 1 and 2, and the Ghana Military Academy Infrastructure Project, whiles the military still uses its internally generated funds, to support.

The Navy has been equipped with five offshore security vessels such as Ghana Navy Ships (GNS) Volta, Pra, Ankobra, Densu, and Achimota, and four Zodiac boats, to enhance counter-piracy and other maritime security operations.

Ghana Air Force (GHF) is being equipped with six L-39 ground fighter aircrafts, two additional ground power units, assorted aircraft comprising CASA C-2A5 maritime patrol aircrafts, the MI-71SH military aircraft helicopters, VIP transport helicopters, and four reconnaissance light attack helicopters to support the operations of the Special Forces.

Ghana’s premier military hospital – the 37 Military Hospital, which also serves as the National Disaster Management Hospital, is about to commence its next phase of expansion project, whiles the 500-bed Military Hospital at Afari, in the Ashanti region is ready for operationalization.

GAF has officially been granted the Presidential Charter, to establish the National Defence University (NDU), granting it autonomy as an institution, with its constituent colleges being the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), National College of Defence Studies (NCDS), Ghana Military Academy (GMA), and the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

By Kofi Ampeah-Woode