The US aerial surveillance missions have begun to alarmingly multiply off the coast of Cuba, shows a CNN analysis based on public aviation data.
Starting from February 4th, the Navy and the US Air Force have carried out at least 25 such missions using crewed aircraft and drones. Most of these took place near the country’s two largest cities, Havana and Santiago de Cuba, some devices reaching a distance of just 65 kilometers from the coast, according to FlightRadar24 data.
Most flights were operated by P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, specifically designed for surveillance and reconnaissance, while others were carried out by RC-135V Rivet Joint aircraft, specialized in electronic information collection (signals intelligence). Additionally, several high-altitude MQ-4C Triton drones were also used.
These missions are remarkable not only for their proximity to the coast – which allows for efficient information gathering – but also for their sudden appearance. Prior to the month of February, such publicly visible flights were extremely rare in this area. Moreover, the timing chosen raises questions.
Details, HERE