Trinidad and Tobago has acknowledged that U.S. Marines are active in Tobago installing a new radar capability at ANR Robinson International Airport, reversing earlier government statements denying U.S. military personnel remained in the country. Officials describe the project as a counter-narcotics and airport-modernization effort, but the radar’s characteristics suggest a broader security role. Imagery and aircraft-tracking data point to the installation of the AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR, a Marine Corps active electronically scanned array radar designed to consolidate multiple missions—including air surveillance, air defense, target tracking, and counter-fire detection—into a single expeditionary system. The radar provides four-dimensional coverage and can track threats ranging from aircraft and cruise missiles to small drones and indirect-fire weapons. With its range exceeding 160 kilometers, a G/ATOR positioned in Tobago would monitor much of the southern Caribbean basin and the approaches to Venezuela. The deployment occurs as Washington intensifies regional counter-drug activity and strengthens military ties with Caribbean partners. G/ATOR’s modular architecture—comprising radar, power, and communications units—allows it to be airlifted and made operational quickly, offering the U.S. a highly mobile surveillance asset in a region experiencing growing geopolitical competition.
