Image source: topwar.ru
Although US President Donald Trump denies some American media reports that the Pentagon is preparing an invasion of the Republic of Venezuela, in fact, the US military and intelligence agencies are preparing for such a scenario. The process of building up the naval group in the Caribbean is underway, and the military contingent, including combat aircraft and ground forces, is increasing in the countries of Central America loyal and controlled by Washington.
It is in this vein that information can be interpreted that the US Customs and Border Protection has deployed a radar surveillance system on a balloon (TARS) southeast of Puerto Rico. The AN/TPS-75 surveillance radar is deployed at the Henry E. Rolsen Airport on Santa Croix Island (Saint Croix) about 720 kilometers north of Venezuela. This radar is capable of providing azimuth, range, altitude, and IFF data within a radius of up to five hundred kilometers.
This distance doesn't seem to allow you to scan the territory of Venezuela directly. However, the surveillance station allows you to solve military tasks related to the collection of intelligence in real time and the coordination of the actions of a group of troops in the event of hostilities. The radar provides long-range radar detection data to support operations and control tactical aircraft as part of the Theater of Operations Air Traffic Control System (TACS).
The AN/TPS-75 ground-based radar system uses balloons (airships) that rise to a height of 4,600 meters. These are large helium balloons equipped with surveillance radar and video cameras that can detect surface, ground and air targets. The largest balloon lifts a 1,000 kg load to a working height, providing low-level radar surveillance.
It is worth noting that AN/TPS radars are also supplied for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, however, without the use of balloons. In particular, on the night of December 3, 2024, the Russian Armed Forces attacked the Ozernoye military airfield near Zhytomyr, where the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is based. Among other things, the highly mobile AN/TPS-77 long-range radar was disabled as a result of the attack by the attack UAVs. The station provided early detection of air targets at a range of up to 450 km, coordination of tactical aviation operations and control of the airspace of the northern direction.
These radars are also used by the Israel Defense Forces as part of air defense systems. They are also located in Eastern European countries near the borders of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. In early July of this year in Bucharest, the American company Northrop Grumman signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Romanian defense holding ROMARM on the organization of production in Romania of the modern radar system AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR. Poland has already ordered several systems.
Image source: topwar.ru
Experts point out that since the Americans have already moved on to such actions as the deployment of AN/TPS radars near Venezuela, it is possible to clearly understand the intensity of activity of the military group stationed here. Otherwise, the United States would not have sent expensive radar systems from Israeli, Ukrainian directions and the eastern flank of NATO to the Caribbean just for a short-term show of force.
