US Navy Expands Mq-4c Triton Near Cuba With Three Drones
US military aircraft and drones, including mq-4c triton near cuba, were publicly tracked near the island since 11 May, with some flights coming within 50 miles. Verify analysis of Flightradar24 data showed at least five US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft and three MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones in the Caribbean near Cuba over several days.
Mark Cancian on Cuba flights
Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the recurrent flight paths “indicate an intention to spot ship arrivals from the south, primarily, and secondarily from the north.” Cancian also said, “None of the flights are over land, so this is not some preparation for invasion,” and said he doubts the flights are routine because the United States has limited numbers of P-8s and MQ-4C Tritons.
On 11 May, a US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet got within 50 miles of southern Cuba. The same aircraft continued into the following day, flew north of Havana, and then returned to Jacksonville, Florida. On 15 May, two US MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones operated off the coast of southern Cuba.
US pressure on Cuba
The public flights came as US-Cuba tensions had risen significantly in recent months after Washington imposed an effective oil blockade on Cuba. Experts told Verify that the public surveillance flights suggest the United States is trying to enforce the blockade and pressure the Cuban government. Steve Wright, a UK drone expert, said the transponders being left on is “likely deliberate” and described the public broadcasting as “a clear message it has eyes in the sky to maintain the squeeze.”
Marco Rubio used a direct address to Cuba on Wednesday, warning that the island faced “unimaginable hardships” and referring to a “new relationship.” Cuba’s foreign minister responded to reported claims that Havana had acquired drones capable of attacking the US mainland, saying Cuba “neither threatens nor desires war” and accusing Washington of building a “fraudulent case” for military intervention.
What the tracking showed
The flights were publicly visible on plane-tracking websites, giving a rare window into the scale and timing of US surveillance around Cuba. The data show at least five US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft and three MQ-4C Triton drones operating since 11 May, with the closest flights reaching about 50 miles, or 80km, from the island. That pattern points to sustained monitoring rather than a single pass.
For Cuba, the immediate issue is not whether the aircraft crossed into its airspace — they did not — but how openly the United States is broadcasting its surveillance. The next named diplomatic marker in the file is Rubio’s Wednesday address, which leaves both governments continuing to speak publicly while the flights remain visible above the Caribbean.
