Paraguay continues to take important steps in the fight against organized crime and narcotrafficking with the support of partner countries in the region and the United Nations.
In late April, through the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD), Paraguay carried out its first exercise in the safe disposal of chemical precursors seized in counternarcotics operations. An interagency team, within the framework of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) STAND program for the safe management and disposal of seized drugs and precursors, carried out the safe disposal of drums containing sulfuric acid, commonly used in the production of cocaine. The event, which concluded a week of technical training, represented a fundamental step for regional security and reaffirmed Paraguay’s commitment to the fight against organized crime.
A month earlier, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to strengthen cooperation on defense and security. During his visit, Rubio congratulated Peña on the first Foreign Military Sales (FMS) equipment purchase made in February. The equipment consists of high-tech AN/TPS-78 radars from Northrop Grumman.
The addition of the radars is “a turning point” in Paraguay’s national defense, as it “marks the beginning of a new era in the fight against transnational organized crime and narcotrafficking,” the Paraguayan government said in a statement.
“With the acquisition of the radars, we have strengthened our defense capabilities against any type of internal or external threat,” General Julio Rubén Fullaondo Céspedes, commander of the Paraguayan Air Force (FAP), told Diálogo. “In the complex regional security landscape, the deployment of air surveillance technologies transcends borders and is an essential component for guaranteeing both sovereignty and the safety of the population.”
The U.S. Embassy in Paraguay highlighted the importance of the acquisition. “We join the Government of Paraguay in celebrating the decision to acquire a primary radar system for air surveillance. This tool will support the Paraguayan Air Force in countering the impact of organized crime at the local and regional levels,” the U.S. Embassy in Paraguay said via X. ‘This initiative is a sign of the commitment and joint work of the United States and Paraguay for a stronger and safer hemisphere.”
High technology
The AN/TPS-78 radar is an advanced air surveillance system designed to detect and track airborne targets in difficult environmental conditions. The radar has a coverage of up to 444 km for the simultaneous detection of up to 1,000 targets at low and high altitudes, Spanish news site Defensa reported.
The equipment is designed to be highly mobile and easy to deploy. All its electronic components, including the transmitter, can be transported in a C-130 Hercules aircraft or a helicopter and deployed by a team of four people in less than 30 minutes, Northrop Grumman states on its website.
“These systems will allow real-time monitoring of 100 percent of the national airspace, including critical border areas such as the Chaco and the Triple Frontier,” said the Paraguayan government.
According to Paraguayan daily Última Hora, the purchase includes training for 20 radar technicians, 20 radar operators, and 20 command and control center operators, as well as infrastructure for both operational personnel and technicians. “The U.S. government guarantees the company’s after-sales service through the FMS program,” Última Hora reported.
Airspace surveillance
“[The acquisition of the radars] represents a very important technological and strategic advance in national defense, providing the Air Force with the means to fulfill its constitutional mission, which is the surveillance and protection of the national airspace,” Gen. Fullaondo said. The officer also highlighted that the new technology would contribute to the establishment of a “comprehensive and deterrent defense system” that will protect air borders and acts as a “key element” in coordination with other state institutions.
In recent years, Paraguay has become a key country for the transit of cocaine transported across the Atlantic in container ships. Cocaine produced mainly in Peru and Bolivia transits through Paraguay to Brazil and Argentina, generally entering from neighboring Bolivia by land and air routes through the Chaco, the vast and sparsely populated region in the northwest of the country, where airstrips are being built for drug trafficking. The acquisition of the radar will help Paraguay curb these criminal activities.
Military modernization plan
The Paraguayan government explained that the radar is part of a multisectoral security strategy that includes the acquisition of six Super Tucano aircraft for air interdiction, the incorporation of four helicopters donated by Taiwan, and the repair in Israel of two mobile radars.
“With this, Paraguay not only acquires state-of-the-art technology, but also strengthens its position as a strategic partner in the region, guaranteeing the security and protection of its citizens with the highest international standards and renewing its commitment to regional security,” Gen. Fullaondo concluded.
