CONCORD, N.H. - The New Hampshire National Guard hosted a ceremony in Concord Aug. 2 to commemorate Cabo Verde’s much-anticipated acquisition of a Beechcraft King Air 360ER through the State Partnership Program.
A memorandum of understanding signed by the West African nation’s minister of defense and the U.S. ambassador to Cabo Verde formalized a three-year plan for the NHNG to help train Cabo Verdean pilots and flight and ground support personnel.
The agreement will solidify the NHNG’s commitment to the training and assistance package, said Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities, New Hampshire’s adjutant general.
“This document sets the conditions for future opportunities and the possibility of one day flying together as partners during multinational exercises,” he said.
The budding transatlantic connection was made possible through a 31-year-old Department of Defense National Guard Bureau initiative that fosters relationships between a state’s National Guard and a foreign nation’s military. New Hampshire was matched with Cabo Verde in 2021. To date, the program has facilitated about 35 civilian and military exchanges.
“The cooperation between Cape Verde and the United States of America has gone far and it is stronger than ever, revealing our mutual ambition to guarantee defense and security,” said Cabo Verde Minister of Defense Janine Lélis.
U.S. Ambassador to Cabo Verde Jennifer Adams credited some of the partnership’s early success to key international similarities.
“Both are small but mighty and clearly capable of doing a lot with a little,” Adams said.
New Hampshire Army National Guard’s Operational Airlift, Detachment 18, operates a C-12 twin turboprop aircraft similar to the one reserved for Cabo Verde. The unit’s subject matter experts will help Cabo Verde facilitate the plane’s safe operation for medical evacuation, search and rescue, maritime patrol and personnel transport.
“To train with the best is the best thing to do, and we are training with the best,” said Rear Adm. António Monteiro, Cabo Verde chief of defense. “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go farther, go together. So let’s aim to go together.”