Map of the Caribbean Sea and its islands. Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons, author–Kmusser, all data from Vector Map.
MSN reports three Russian Navy surface ships and a nuclear-powered submarine are expected call on Havana next week.
“Russian ships are expected to make port calls in Cuba and perhaps Venezuela. The regional exercises are expected to last through the summer and culminate in a global naval exercise in the fall.”
Of course, the US is not objecting to the presence of a few Russian Ships operating in waters close to the US. Nevertheless, the Coast Guard may encounter these ships.
It would be interesting to know what kind of ships they are sending.
Meanwhile close to Russia, “NATO to Kick Off Largest Baltic Operations Exercise to Date.”
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Too bad the Hooligan Navy de established their Sonar capabilities decades ago.
We now have a list of the ships involved, “In a statement yesterday, Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces confirmed that the advanced Yasen-M class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Kazan and three other Russian naval vessels, including the Project 22350 frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the oil tanker Pashin, and the salvage tug Nikolai Chiker will dock in the Cuban capital from June 12-17.”
There is also more background here. Russia’s Advanced Yasen-M Class Nuclear Submarine Is Headed For Cuba (twz.com)
The same story includes this observation, “Also notable, perhaps, is the fact that the U.S. Coast Guard just released official photos showing operations involving the U.S. Coast Guard Legend class cutter Stone (WMSL-758) in the Atlantic Ocean, including working alongside the Arleigh Burke class destroyers USS Truxtun (DDG-103) and USS Donald Cook (DDG-75). The Stone is also seen during maneuvers with the Canadian Halifax class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH-332).”
I am not sure what to make of this. I don’t think the two DDGs and Canadian Frigate are doing drug interdiction, but while they might be pinging off the Russian Sub, why is the cutter involved? Is there an MH-60R on the Stone?
Reportedly USCGC Stone may be one of the US and Canadian assets tracking the Russian task force. US Navy ‘Shadowing’ Russian Flotilla off Florida Coast—Satellite Data – Newsweek
Another report, Russian Naval Flotilla Sails Within 30 Miles Of Florida Coast, Prompts U.S. Response (msn.com)
Is this in response to what the US has allowed Ukraine to do with US made weapons? Probably not, the planning lead time is too long.
Is this a Russian show of strength? It may be impressive for Cuba and Venezuela, but this is not impressive to the US or its allies. We had ample warning, there was no surprise. The transit is relatively easy, but it could not have been fast because they brought along a salvage tug which has come to be normal operations for the Soviet Navy, apparently because they don’t have confidence in the reliability of their propulsion. This is more a show of weakness. A weak task force doing exercises with weak allies.
Had they started this deployment after initiation of hostilities, probably none of the surface vessels would have made it South of Iceland.
Got an email for US Naval Institute that included a statement that Canadian OPV HMCS Margaret Brooke would also be visiting Havana June 14-17. First Canadian Navy visit since 2016.
I’m surprised that China hasn’t countered our FONOPs in the South China Sea with their own in the Gulf of Mexico.
I think they have threatened this. The Iranians certainly have repeatedly, but it would be pointless because we are not going to object.
Chinese/Russian task forces have transited the Aleutians, and they have been shadowed by the Coast Guard (usually) and Navy (once).
A couple of destroyers would not catch our attention. But I think a Chinese carrier group conducting flight ops 25 miles off shore and sending recon fights at 13 miles—more or less similar to what we’ve done near them—would have us focused.
Some people would be happy to say, you stay out of our backyard, and we will stay out of yours, but that is not really in our interests.
But it might convince more people we need a stronger Navy and a better armed Coast Guard.
I agree that “staying out of [China’s] back yard” is not in our interest, but it is in the minds of some of the far Right and far Left’s “America First” crowd. Most of them are more against involvement in Europe, and perhaps the Middle East, than they are against China’s growing hegemony.
But there are some of the farthest who begrudge even the cost of FONOPS in the South China Sea. “We are protected by two great Oceans. Why should we poke our nose in other people’s problems?” That argument didn’t work in either 1917 or 1941, but those reminders are now so long ago that people can forget or discount them.
Better teaching of history and, to a lesser degree, civics would help but, rightly or wrongly, history concentrates on the most recent events. So, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War (and probably now the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan get the same (perhaps more) weight as the two World wars—which were really one war with an uneasy peace in between.
Saying that “The Ukraine war started because NATO threatens Russia with a sneak attack,” an uncommon but not unknown domestic fantasy, which justifies standing back, or even withdrawing. It also demonstrates a deep underlying ignorance of the post-war 1940s through the 1970s.
You recommend that the U.S. increase its Navy and Coast Guard. Given the delays and spiraling cost of building Navy ships (“Quick, unfreeze the specs to put in this new system.”) I don’t see that for the Navy. Our ships seem to be cheaper and closer to schedule, but they don’t have the capability of gray ships.
I’d actually welcome inshore Chinese (or Russian) FONOPs in the Gulf because it would call attention to the problem.
Withdrawing from Europe and Western Pacific is a perfectly valid political decision (although I think it would be a bad one). But I’d like it to be taken after some thought, and not just on the spur-of-the-moment based on the “President’s Gut” or some political hoo-hah.