US military jets and drones tracked near Cuba as tensions rise
Open-source tracking groups reported that US Air Force jets and drones flew extended patrols in international airspace near the northern coast of Cuba last week. Havana described the moves as an attempt to manufacture "fabricated military evidence"; Washington declined to comment.
Open-source flight tracking data verified that US Air Force E-3 Sentry early warning and control aircraft, RC-135 signals intelligence planes and drones conducted extended patrols in international airspace near the northern coast of Cuba last week. The flights remained outside Cuban territorial airspace.
The Havana government called the flights "an aggressive provocation" and said the United States has been preparing "a fabricated basis for military action" against Cuba in recent weeks. On Friday, the US Justice Department announced murder charges against former president Raúl Castro tied to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft. The context suggests the highest tensions in the Caribbean in months.
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the flights; standard procedure is to characterise them as "routine international maritime reconnaissance missions". Many regional experts say a broad US military strike remains impractical, but the manoeuvres create groundwork for tighter sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Reactions from the European Union and Latin American capitals are awaited.
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