New BDF chief outlines vision for organisation

Brigadier General Carlos Lovell, the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), has unveiled plans for a significant expansion of the force’s role in national development, including infrastructure projects and healthcare support.

In his inaugural address at the Change of Command Parade held at St Ann’s Fort on Wednesday evening, Brigadier Lovell emphasised the need for the BDF to evolve in response to global security challenges while supporting the government’s sustainability goals.

“The BDF of the future must evolve to be fit for purpose, to address the current and emerging challenges of a modern, volatile, and complex global security environment, while seeking every opportunity to support the government’s pursuit of our sustainable development goals,”  Brigadier Lovell stated, outlining his vision for what he termed “future force 2030”.

Speaking before an audience that included President Dame Sandra Mason and Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the armed forces chief announced plans to swiftly enhance new operational capabilities to safeguard national interests. He highlighted the intention to “aggressively pursue training opportunities” both locally and abroad to address capability gaps and develop personnel.

The new chief also revealed plans to acquire specialist platforms, assets, and equipment to bolster the force’s engineering and maritime capabilities, as well as its emergency healthcare capacity.

Brigadier Lovell’s vision is of soldiers and sailors helping to build the nation’s infrastructure and easing strain on the public healthcare system. 

He said: “I envisage a future force that can assist with the construction of various national infrastructure but employ our engineering unit. A force that can relieve the strain on the public healthcare system, through the provision of assistance to polyclinics across the island, through the occasional delivery of healthcare to the protected services, and eventually to the wider public.”  

Outgoing chief of staff, Rear Admiral Errington Shurland, expressed full confidence in his successor: “I have the utmost confidence in Brigadier Lovell, that he would bring both fresh perspectives and the strategic foresight necessary to guide the Barbados Defence Force into its next chapter.”

In his parting words after 40 years of service, Rear Admiral Shurland urged the force’s leadership to continue innovating and evolving in response to changing security and defence landscapes. He emphasised the need for agility, capability, and readiness to meet future demands.

Brigadier Lovell’s appointment and vision come at a time when the Prime Minister has committed to expanding the force and constructing a state-of-the-art new headquarters, signalling a new era for the Barbados Defence Force.

He said: “In synergy with the prime minister’s commitment to the expansion of the force and the construction of a state-of-the-art new headquarters, I intend to aggressively pursue training opportunities for our service persons, both locally and abroad, to address a number of capability gaps, and simultaneously develop our people.

“We will seek to phase the implementation and acquisition of specialist platforms, assets and equipment, in order to build out our engineering capability, our maritime capability, and our emergency health care capacity.” (SB)