Cuba has quietly acquired more than 300 military-grade drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, according to US intelligence reports. The assessment, first reported by Axios, indicates Cuban officials are actively discussing using these unmanned systems against American military targets, including Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and US naval vessels operating nearby.
The drones vary in capability and are stored across multiple locations across the island, a deliberate posture to complicate any potential US response. Iranian military advisers are reportedly on the ground in Cuba, bringing years of drone warfare doctrine refined against American interests in the Middle East.
US intelligence suggests Cuban planners are studying these tactics directly. However, officials currently do not consider Cuba an imminent threat.
This buildup adds to existing Russian and Chinese signals-intelligence facilities on the island, transforming Cuba from a passive intelligence partner into a potential offensive threat. Relations between Washington and Havana have deteriorated sharply since the Trump administration reimposed sweeping sanctions, deepening Cuba's military ties with Russia, Iran, and China.
For US defense planners, the immediate challenge is countering a drone threat in the Caribbean without triggering a broader crisis. Guantanamo Bay sits on Cuban soil under a contested perpetual lease. If Cuba integrates drone warfare with Russian and Chinese intelligence infrastructure, it creates a combined capability where signals intelligence can identify targets and drones can strike them.