2,000 troops expected in Antigua for Exercise Tradewinds 2026
By Kisean Joseph kisean.joseph@antiguaobserver.com Approximately 2,000 military personnel from across the Caribbean, North America, and Europe will arrive in Antigua next month for Exercise Tradewinds 2026. Chief of Defense Staff Brigadier General Telbert Benjamin says logistical personnel will begin arriving mid-May, with the main body of troops landing in early June ahead of the official […]
Black News 
By Kisean Joseph
kisean.joseph@antiguaobserver.com
Approximately 2,000 military personnel from across the Caribbean, North America, and Europe will arrive in Antigua next month for Exercise Tradewinds 2026.
Chief of Defense Staff Brigadier General Telbert Benjamin says logistical personnel will begin arriving mid-May, with the main body of troops landing in early June ahead of the official launch on 3rd June.
Speaking in a recent interview, Brigadier General Benjamin confirmed that contingents will be drawn from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and across the CARICOM region.
“Almost 500 personnel from across the CARICOM region [will be] arriving in Antigua, and several hundred personnel from the United States as well,” he said.
The Defense Chief described the multinational exercise as a joint venture between the United States Southern Command, the Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, the Regional Security System, and a wider network of international partners.
He explained that the primary objective for the ABDF is to test the country’s tactical readiness ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026.
“The primary objective for the Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force for Tradewinds is to be able to test at a tactical level our ability to host CHOGM,” Brigadier General Benjamin said. “We want to see where, in colloquial terms, the pipe will burst.”
Residents are being advised to expect increased military vehicle, vessel, and aviation traffic from mid-May, including foreign-operated military vehicles traversing local highways and helicopter activity in and around the V.C. Bird International Airport.
Brigadier General Benjamin said most personnel will be housed at the Crabbs training area and at Camp Blizzard, with overflow accommodation provided through tentage. Kitchens at both facilities will operate to feed the troops.
The exercise will test a wide range of capabilities, including maritime operations, aviation training, drone deployment, special operations, and disaster response. A simulated medical evacuation from Antigua to Puerto Rico is also planned.
Domestically, the ABDF will be supported by the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the Ministry of Health, Sir Lester Bird Medical Center, Emergency Medical Services, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, and the National Office of Disaster Services.
The Defense Chief identified two key concerns ahead of the exercise: managing the complex logistics of hosting such a large multinational force, and managing public perception.
“The environment is ripe for a misunderstanding and for people to paint a very negative picture as to why military troops are coming here,” he said. “But this is something that we do all the time.”
He stressed that Antigua and Barbuda has hosted Tradewinds on multiple previous occasions, and that local troops travel across the region annually to participate in the exercise.
Brigadier General Benjamin also confirmed that the exercise will incorporate community outreach. A medical program is being developed for Barbuda in collaboration with the Barbuda Council, offering general medical care, eye care, and dental care to residents.
Significant infrastructure upgrades have also been completed at the Crabbs training area, including the reconstruction of the obstacle course for the first time in nearly 30 years and the construction of a new 30-foot rappelling tower — both supported by the United States Southern Command.
The Defense Chief said the exercise will help international partners build confidence in Antigua and Barbuda’s ability to secure major regional events.
“Each of these events here is driven by our ability to secure the environment,” he said. “Exercise Tradewinds is that test for us.”
Beyond the troop contingents, the exercise will also feature a Distinguished Visitors Program, with possible heads of state, ambassadors, Commonwealth representatives, and senior officials from international agencies expected to observe operations.
