A contentious US military radar installation at ANR Robinson International Airport has emerged as a central issue in Tobago’s upcoming January 12 House of Assembly elections. Minority Leader Kelvon Morris has pledged that his PNM party will remove the surveillance equipment if elected to power.
During a December 22 political rally in the Glamorgan/Belle Garden district, Morris declared: “We are going to move that radar as soon as the PNM becomes the next administration of Tobago.” The radar system, manufactured by American defense contractor Northrop Grumman, is a sophisticated G/ATOR system capable of detecting unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and various artillery.
The installation has sparked significant controversy since Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar initially claimed on November 26 that US Marines were in Tobago to assist with road construction near the airport. She later acknowledged the radar’s true purpose in combating drug trafficking, explaining that secrecy was maintained for national security reasons.
Morris, who is contesting the Darrel Spring/Whim constituency, has sharply criticized Chief Secretary Farley Augustine’s evolving stance on the matter. Augustine initially stated he received assurances from central government that the radar wouldn’t be used by the US to attack other nations, but later expressed that given the authority, he would neither install the radar nor permit US military access to the airport.
The PNM leader accused Augustine of compromising Tobago’s interests, suggesting he had “sold his voice for UNC financing” through various material incentives. Morris framed the radar issue as a matter of survival rather than partisan politics, warning residents that the installation could make Tobago a military target in potential conflicts between the US and nations like Venezuela.
He particularly condemned TPP member Certica Williams-Orr’s characterization of the radar as a “Christmas gift” to residents, countering that it represents instead a “gift of death” that jeopardizes Tobago’s security. The central government maintains authority over the installation as national security falls under the Sixth Schedule items beyond THA jurisdiction.