US surveillance flights tracked near Cuba as tensions rise
The US military has been publicly broadcasting the location of surveillance flights near Cuba on plane-tracking websites, in a move that appears to signal pressure on Havana. Flight-tracking data shows multiple US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft and MQ-4C Triton drones operating in the Caribbean near the island since 11 May. Some of the aircraft have flown as close as 50 miles from Cuba, according to the analysis.
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The data reviewed shows at least five P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft and three MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones involved in the activity. The aircraft have not been continuously visible, and the tracking data does not provide a complete picture of US operations off Cuba. Military aircraft do not always broadcast their positions, but they do share location data for parts of a flight.
A UK drone expert said leaving transponders on was likely deliberate and suggested the US wanted to send a clear message that it had "eyes in the sky". The public nature of the flights has been interpreted by analysts as part of a wider effort to enforce pressure on the Cuban government. The same analysis says the activity may also be intended to deter Cuba's allies, including Venezuela, from trying to send energy shipments to the island.
The flights come amid a sharp rise in US-Cuba tensions in recent months. Washington has imposed what the analysis describes as an effective oil blockade on Cuba, contributing to a fuel crisis that has led to major power blackouts and protests. The surveillance activity therefore sits within a broader pattern of economic and security pressure, rather than a single isolated deployment.
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The reporting also comes after claims that Havana has acquired drones capable of attacking the US mainland, which Cuba's foreign minister rejected. He said the country "neither threatens nor desires war" and accused Washington of building a "fraudulent case" for military intervention. In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered what he called a "new relationship" with the Cuban people and blamed the island's hardships on its communist leadership.
What remains unclear is the full scale of the US military presence around Cuba, since the available tracking data only captures parts of some flights. It is also not possible from the data alone to confirm the operational purpose of each aircraft or drone. What to watch next is whether the flights continue at the same pace, whether Havana responds publicly, and whether the pressure campaign affects fuel deliveries or the wider diplomatic standoff.
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