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Press Release | April 19, 2019

As Delivered by General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy Bahamas Radar Commissioning on Great Inagua

UNORTHCOM

GREAT INAGUA, THE BAHAMAS  –  

General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), participated in the commissioning ceremony for a new radar site on Great Inagua, The Bahamas, April 17, 2019.  Other ceremony participants included The Bahamas Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Honourable Hubert Minnis; The Bahamas Minister of National Security, The Honourable Marvin Dames; the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commander, Commodore Tellis Bethel, Charge d’Affaires Stephanie Bowers, U.S. Embassy Bahamas, and other dignitaries.

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During the event, Gen. O’Shaughnessy gave the following remarks:

“Honorable Prime Minister, ministers, ladies and gentlemen, friends and partners, today it is my great honor to continue discussions on security issues with the Prime Minister and Minister Dames this morning, and really only a month after [the Prime Minister] met with our President, President Trump, my Commander-in-Chief, at Mar-a-Lago. This is a testament of the strength of our relationship. 

Minister Dames, it is great to see you again. Thank you, too, for your partnership and your friendship.

It’s really wonderful to be back in the Bahamas.  I am truly and especially pleased to be here today as we celebrate commissioning of this radar. This radar represents so much more than just technology. I would be remiss if I didn’t publicly thank the Charge de Affaires, Stephanie Bowers, for her relentless advocacy of the importance of this relationship, not only here but also back in Washington D.C., so thank you Stephanie.

The bi-lateral relationship between the United States and the Bahamas is vital and longstanding.  As neighbors with common interests and values, we have a history of working together to protect and defend our people.  While the history we share is vital to both our nations, today’s events also celebrate the future we have in common

The United States and the Bahamas are firmly committed to defending our people from Transnational Criminal Organizations that traffic in persons, move drugs, and conduct other illicit activities using the seas as an avenue of approach.

We are committed to defending our nations.  Our long-standing strategic partnership has enabled our defense for many years.  Though competitors seek to undermine our strong and mutually beneficial partnership, we know we grow stronger together. 

Before I talk specifically about the radar and its capabilities, I would like to recognize Lieutenants Lennox Coleby and “Bass” Bastian who were instrumental in installing the systems you see here today. Lennox and Bass, are you here, can you please stand? I had the opportunity to walk through the radar site with Bass, and I will tell you the professionalism shown within that office is not only representative of your entire defense force, but the enthusiasm and passion by which he takes on his responsibilities is unmatched anywhere.

This Maritime Surveillance Radar is the first of several, with others planned for the Royal Bahamas Defense Force Headquarters near Nassau, as well as one on Great Exuma Island.  These radars are tangible symbols of our deeply held commitment to improving security of our nations in the future and will bring increased capability to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.

Those improvements will, afford increased opportunities for information sharing between our two great nations. Once the second is installed, they will provide information into the cooperative sensor and information integration system, allowing the neighbor nations to share that data and allow fusion of other sensors. As funding is approved, we are committed to working with you to install additional radars, expanding on this success for both our nations.

Much like these radars, our nations are looking forward to a very bright future indeed. 

We are building capacity, increasing resilience, and working side-by-side, ensuring the safety of the Bahamian people, the more than 40,000 Americans who are residents here, and the more than 5 million Americans who visit the Bahamas each year. I feel thankful I get to be one of those 5 million who get to visit frequently.

Let there be no doubt we are in this together as neighbors, as partners, and as friends.

On behalf of the President of the United States, the Acting Secretary of Defense, and the American people, I am pleased to share this celebration with you as we commission this Maritime Surveillance Radar.

Commodore Bethel, thank you for hosting us aboard HMBS Lawrence [Major] this afternoon.  It is a special privilege to be tied with you and your team and I look forward to partnering in the future.

Mr. Prime Minister, thank you so much. Thank you to all the people of the Bahamas for your partnership and friendship not only now, but going into the future. I look forward to many more years of cooperation and mutual defense.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, and thank you for us to be able to share in this great partnership.”

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