Two United States military cargo aircraft, operated by the US Marine Corps, which left the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago yesterday morning, were on the island to help with a piece of “roadway” at the airport.
Two US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft departed from Tobago’s airport, headed to North America yesterday morning, just one day after US top military officer General Dan Caine arrived in Trinidad and met with Persad-Bissessar.
The Prime Minister insisted there was no discussion about Venezuela with General Caine during his meeting with her on Tuesday.
Only one of the aircraft appeared on tracking site FlightRadar24 yesterday, leaving Tobago at 5.53 a.m. and transiting to the United States. Open Source Intelligence expert @LatAmMilMVMTs, who has been closely following the military build-up in the Caribbean this year, told the Express yesterday that the aircraft is one of two of its kind that transited through the Tobago airport yesterday.
The two C-17s (RCH660 C-17A 01-0192 and RCH661 C-17A 99-0165) were within the airspace, one of the aircraft tracking on FlightRadar24 when it departed and the other was not tracked at all on the platform, the Express understands.
Both, it said, originated from the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament yesterday afternoon, Persad-Bissessar said the US military was helping with Tobago’s airport, but did not disclose what she meant by this.
She further stated that they were helping with “a bit of roadway”.
Despite the announced joint exercises between the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force having concluded last week, the Prime Minister confirmed the presence of US marines in the country, stating, “The marines are here, they are training with our people and that is what it was about.”
She denied that the presence of these aircraft had anything to do with escalating tensions between the US and neighbouring Venezuela.
“It is not a military force as such; they are not here on the ground, we are not about to launch any campaign against Venezuela. I’ve made that very clear; Trinidad and Tobago has not been asked to be a base for any war against Venezuela,” she said.
According to the US Air Force, the C-17 Globemaster III is the “most flexible” cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force and is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The Air Force website states that it can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions, transporting litters and ambulatory patients during evacuations.
Posts across social media yesterday confirmed sightings of the large aircraft leaving Tobago. (Express)
