Tuesday, November 5, 2024

US Debated Canceling Sub Deployment to Cuba After Learning of Russia’s Warship Plans

Published:

— Plans by the U.S. Navy to deploy a nuclear submarine to this week were considered so routine, little thought was given to the move within the U.S. government — until the Biden administration learned of Russia’s plans to dock one of its own in Havana at the same time.

The Navy had planned for weeks to deploy the USS Helena, a nuclear-powered, fast- attack submarine, to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as “part of our routine naval activities,” one official with U.S. Southern Command, based in Doral, said.

But the discovery that Russia intended to send several combat vessels and the Kazan — one of its most advanced nuclear submarines — to the region for exercises this week sparked a debate among Navy and administration officials whether to proceed with the Helena deployment, or to change or cancel it, two officials familiar with the matter told McClatchy and the Herald.

“There was a discussion over whether to proceed,” one official familiar with the matter said.

Biden administration officials had already believed that Cuba approved Russia’s latest port call “at least in part because of Havana’s displeasure” over a similar event last year, in which a U.S. submarine visited the Guantanamo base, infuriating the Cuban government, one U.S. official said. Officials feared that a second visit, announced during the Russian exercises, could escalate tensions further.

Ultimately, the Navy…

Continue Reading This Article At Military.com

- advertisement -

Related articles

- advertisement -
AlphaDog Hosting Ad

Recent articles