U.S. Army Avenger Systems and Sentinel Radar Deployed at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster Amid Aerial Threat Concerns

BEDMINSTER, N.J., August 11, 2026 — A U.S. Army AN/TWQ-1 Avenger short-range air defense system, supported by an AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar, was deployed at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey while President Donald Trump played golf during the final round of the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament on August 9.

Images from the golf course show Trump playing with an Avenger system positioned behind concertina wire in the background. Additional imagery shows an Avenger and an AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar near the course. The White House confirmed the authenticity of the photographs to The War Zone on August 10.

The deployment comes as security concerns surrounding Trump have increased amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran. Independent analyst has linked the presence of the air-defense system to concerns about a possible Iranian aerial attack against the president.

The exact threat assessment behind the deployment has not been publicly disclosed.

Avenger provides short-range air defense

The AN/TWQ-1 Avenger is a Humvee-mounted short-range air-defense system that uses FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. The system can carry up to eight ready-to-fire Stinger missiles and is also equipped with an M3P .50-caliber machine gun. U.S. Army documents describe the Avenger as a mobile system designed to counter low-altitude unmanned aircraft and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

The Army has also integrated Avenger units into counter-unmanned-aircraft operations. The system can receive air tracks from the Sentinel radar, allowing the weapon system to be directed toward detected aerial threats.

The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel provides the accompanying air surveillance capability. The Army describes the radar as a 360-degree X-band system providing persistent air surveillance and fire-control-quality data. Its published instrumented range is up to 75 kilometers, and it can acquire, track and classify unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

When the Avenger systems are deployed to assist the Secret Service in protecting the president, NORAD has said they are operated by the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. A NORAD spokesperson declined to provide further details about how frequently the systems are used in this role, according to The War Zone.

Avenger was also seen at Bedminster on August 1

The air-defense system was not first seen at the golf club on August 9.

On August 1, the White House released a video showing Trump speaking with U.S. Army personnel at Bedminster. An Avenger was visible in the background.

During the exchange, Trump joked that he was not worried about “missiles and drones.” A U.S. Army colonel responded, “We got it covered,” while pointing toward the Humvee-mounted system.

The appearance of the Avenger on both occasions indicates that the system has been positioned at Bedminster beyond a single golf outing. The White House has not publicly provided details about the duration or full scope of the deployment.

NORAD F-16s intercepted civilian aircraft

The heightened airspace security around Bedminster was also visible on August 9.

While Trump was at the golf club, NORAD F-16 fighter aircraft intercepted two general aviation aircraft that violated the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) airspace over the area.

NORAD said that all general aviation aircraft were safely escorted out of the restricted area. NORAD routinely supports the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Aviation Administration in enforcing temporary flight restrictions established around protected presidential locations.

The presence of fighter aircraft and the ground-based Avenger system represents different layers of airspace protection, although details of how the systems were coordinated during the incident have not been released.

Trump has previously faced threats at golf courses

The security arrangements at Bedminster come against a background of previous threats and attacks involving Trump, including an attempted assassination at a golf course.

On September 15, 2024, Trump was playing golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter sweep spotted a rifle in the tree line near the sixth hole. The agent fired toward the suspect, later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.

Routh was subsequently convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump. In February 2026, he was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years.

Trump was also the target of an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired at Trump before being killed by law enforcement. The shooting also killed one spectator and seriously injured two others.

More recently, authorities arrested Jeanine John Taele, 38, at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, after he was observed photographing and recording security preparations ahead of Trump's scheduled visit. Authorities found ammunition on him and a loaded pistol in his vehicle, while subsequent searches uncovered additional weapons and other equipment.

Authorities have not said that Taele was involved in an assassination plot against Trump.

Iran-related threats add another security concern

The current security environment also includes a history of threats from Iran against Trump.

In January 2020, after the U.S. strike that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, an image was posted by an account associated with Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei showing what appeared to be a drone targeting Trump while he played golf. The image was widely interpreted as a threat of retaliation.

The threat environment has since changed significantly. Khamenei was killed during U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, according to reporting at the time.

Iran has also developed and used various unmanned aircraft, including one-way attack drones. However, there is no public confirmation that Iran has specifically planned an attack against Trump at Bedminster.

Other protective systems are not visible

The Avenger is only one component of presidential security.

The photographs released from Bedminster do not show the full range of systems or personnel protecting the president. The War Zone noted that other capabilities, potentially including electronic-warfare equipment, may be present but are not visible in the available imagery. The exact composition of the security arrangement has not been disclosed.

Avenger systems have also been used previously for air-defense missions around sensitive locations. The U.S. Army continues to maintain the system as part of its short-range air-defense capabilities, including missions against unmanned aerial systems.

The deployment at Bedminster therefore provides a visible example of how military short-range air-defense assets can be incorporated into presidential protection when the president is operating in an open outdoor environment.

For Trump, playing golf at Bedminster on August 9 meant having an Army Avenger and Sentinel radar positioned nearby, while NORAD fighter aircraft were also responding to violations of the temporary restricted airspace. The specific threat information that led to the deployment remains classified or undisclosed.

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