Recent satellite imagery suggests that Cuba is constructing a new radar site near Santiago de Cuba, potentially capable of monitoring activities at the nearby Guantánamo Bay naval base in the United States. This development, not publicly reported until now, is detailed in a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), later referenced by the Wall Street Journal.
The radar site, under construction since 2021, is located east of Santiago de Cuba in the El Salao neighborhood. According to CSIS, it features a circularly disposed antenna array with a diameter ranging from 130 to 200 meters. Once operational, this facility could track signals spanning distances from 3,000 to 8,000 nautical miles (3,452 to 9,206 miles), enabling extensive monitoring of air and maritime activities, particularly those of the US military.
Cuba’s strategic proximity to the US and its military installations makes it a potentially valuable location for China, a key strategic rival to the US, to gather signals intelligence. The CSIS report characterizes the radar site as a “powerful tool” that could significantly enhance China’s surveillance capabilities near Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, which lies approximately 45 miles east of Santiago.
While the US has expressed concerns over China’s alleged intelligence activities in Cuba, Cuban vice foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio has vehemently denied any involvement of Chinese military interests on the island. He criticized the Wall Street Journal for what he termed an unfounded “intimidation campaign” aimed at Cuba, refuting claims of Chinese military bases on Cuban soil.
The report by CSIS also highlights the significant upgrades observed at Cuba’s largest active signals intelligence site in Bejucal, near Havana. These upgrades suggest an evolving mission, potentially linked to Chinese intelligence activities and aimed at gathering data on US military exercises, missile tests, rocket launches, and submarine maneuvers.
The United States, while closely monitoring China’s activities in Cuba, has refrained from specific comments on the CSIS report. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel noted that the US continues to monitor China’s presence in Cuba closely, indicating ongoing efforts to disrupt potential intelligence operations.
China’s embassy in Washington has dismissed allegations of spying from Cuba as baseless slander, asserting that such claims are exaggerated by US officials. Meanwhile, CSIS underlines that China’s interest in Cuba extends to monitoring US space launch activities from Cape Canaveral and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, utilizing radar systems strategically positioned on Cuban soil.
Overall, the construction of the radar site near Santiago de Cuba underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics involving Cuba, the US, and China, highlighting the strategic importance of surveillance capabilities in global intelligence operations.
