Antigua and Barbuda’s Chief of Defence Staff, Talbert Benjamin, said Friday that the radar system being installed in the country is part of a long-standing regional security programme and is not linked to any current U.S. military operations in the Southern Caribbean.
Benjamin made the clarification during a national security press conference after a media question asked whether the United States had requested the installation of surveillance equipment in Antigua or Barbuda.
He said no such request has been made in relation to ongoing operations in the Southern Caribbean and cautioned against misinterpreting the purpose of the system.
Benjamin explained that Antigua and Barbuda has been a security partner with the United States since independence and that the radar installation forms part of a broader Caribbean-wide maritime domain awareness programme supported through longstanding cooperation.
According to Benjamin, components of the radar system began arriving in 2024 and will continue to be delivered through the end of the second quarter of 2026. The system is intended to enhance maritime surveillance and support regional intelligence sharing, he said.
While information gathered through the radar network may be shared with international partners, Benjamin stressed that the system is not designed to support any specific foreign operation and should not be conflated with recent developments in the Southern Caribbean.
He said the Defence Force remains focused on strengthening national and regional security through coordinated surveillance, intelligence sharing and lawful cooperation with trusted partners.
