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Ghana Britain
Between 1958 and 1961, Britain not only satisfied all Ghana's
military requirements but also allowed British military personnel
to serve in various command positions in the Ghanaian armed forces.
By the end of 1961, the British had trained forty-three Ghanaian
army cadets at Sandhurst and thirty-four at the British Officer
Cadet School, Eaton Hall.
Although it initially had opposed the formation of a Ghanaian
air force and navy, Britain eventually agreed to help train
personnel from these services. In 1960 the British instituted an
air force training and supply program on condition that the Indian
and Israeli advisers who had established the air force were
withdrawn. Additionally, between 1960 and 1963, Britain supplied
twelve Chipmunk trainers, three Heron transports, and nine
Whirlwind and Wessex helicopters.
The Ghanaian navy also benefited from British training. Each
year from 1960 to 1966, four or five Ghanaian naval cadets attended
the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. By early 1967,
eighty-seven Ghanaian naval officers and 740 enlisted personnel
were serving in British home bases or were receiving training with
the Royal Navy. There also were twenty-seven officers and forty
senior enlisted personnel from the Royal Navy in Ghanaian command
and training positions.
In April 1962, Accra allowed Britain to consolidate its
military presence in Ghana by creating the Joint Services Training
Team (JSTT). This organization, which was composed of officers and
ranks from the three services under the command of a brigadier,
began its work with a total personnel strength of 248 officers and
men. The JSTT provided training and advisory support; some British
officers also assumed command positions in the Ghanaian air force
and navy. There were no British commanders in the army. The JSTT
continued to function until 1971, when Ghana terminated its
training agreement with Britain.
Even after Accra diversified its sources of foreign military
assistance and Africanized the armed forces, however, Britain
continued to be active in Ghana. In 1974-75 the Vosper Thornycroft
shipyard refitted a corvette warship under a US$2.5 million
contract. In 1978 Fairey Marine provided a Spear MK 2 Class coastal
patrol boat to the Ghanaian navy. In March 1984, the British firm
Plessy reported that it had arranged to furnish Ghana with
equipment for air traffic control. The British also received an
August 1985 contract for about US$75,000 worth of electronics
equipment. A few years later, Britain agreed to refurbish four
Skyvan military and VIP transports; by mid-1991, the British had
completed work on two of these aircraft and delivered them to
Ghana. A limited number of British military personnel also
participated in joint exercises with the Ghanaian armed forces.
Data as of November 1994
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