Ecuador Accepts Delivery of TSS Solutions TIGAR™ System

Ecuador has official taken delivery of TSS Solutions’ TIGAR™ (TSS Integrated Ground-Based Air Radar), a modernized three-dimensional tactical radar system designed to strengthen national security and enhance monitoring of Ecuadorian airspace.

The handover was marked in Quito, Ecuador, by Adm. Alvin Holsey, Commander of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and Air Gen. Mauricio Salazar, Commander General of the Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana). The event coincided with the signing of a Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) by Adm. Holsey and Gen. Henry Delgado Salvador, Chief of the Joint Armed Forces Staff of Ecuador, establishing a framework for secure interoperability and the exchange of sensitive defense information between the two nations.

The TIGAR system, built and delivered by TSS Solutions, will be operated by the Ecuadorian Air Force. The system’s advanced capabilities enable the detection and tracking of aircraft and other aerial targets associated with illicit networks, supporting Ecuador’s ongoing efforts to confront transnational criminal organizations. The system strengthens early-warning and surveillance capacity in a region where airspace monitoring plays a critical role in disrupting criminal activities.

“TIGAR shows how modern engineering can transform a legacy radar design into an advanced air surveillance system,” said Don DiFrisco, President and CEO of TSS Solutions. “Our TIGAR team looks forward to delivering TIGAR technology as new builds or as modernization/Service Life Extension Programs for legacy radars.”

SOUTHCOM underscored the significance of the delivery of TIGAR, with the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador noting in a statement that the donation reflects the United States and Ecuador’s “shared goal to ensure a safer and more prosperous region.” Ecuador’s Ministry of Defense emphasized that the radar is one of several recent milestones in bilateral cooperation, alongside new security agreements, funding allocations, and expanded maritime surveillance initiatives.

Although publicly referred to as a “donation,” Ecuador’s TIGAR system was procured by the U.S. Government under established security cooperation programs. TSS Solutions performed the full build under a U.S. contract, and the completed system was then formally transferred to Ecuador. This model ensures the contractor is fully compensated while providing partner nations with advanced capability as part of U.S. capacity-building initiatives.