Cuba has quietly amassed more than 300 military-grade drones sourced from Russia and Iran since 2023, and US intelligence believes Cuban officials are actively discussing how to use them against American military targets. That list reportedly includes Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and US naval vessels operating in nearby waters.
The assessment, reported by Axios, marks a significant escalation in how Washington views the military threat posed by an island nation just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.
What the US knows about Cuba’s drone arsenal
The drones in question vary in capability and are reportedly stored across multiple locations throughout Cuba. The dispersed storage suggests a deliberate military posture designed to complicate any potential US response.
Iranian military advisers are reportedly on the ground in Cuba. Iran has spent years refining its drone warfare doctrine, most visibly through proxy forces in the Middle East that have targeted US military installations and personnel.
