American nuclear submarine reaches Guantanamo Bay following Russian Navy's visit to Havana.
The naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is currently hosting the fast-attack submarine USS Helena, according to a statement issued by US Southern Command. The submarine is on a routine visit as it sails through the area overseen by the US Southern Command while carrying out its global maritime security and national defense responsibilities.
Such movements of navy submarines are typically kept confidential, but the specific movements of the USS Helena have been revealed by the United States military.
Despite the Russian flotilla being approximately 90 miles off the coast of Florida, the Pentagon maintains that its presence is not a threat to the security of the United States. The Russian ships have been followed by navy destroyers and P-8 aircraft, which are designed to track and locate submarines.
According to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, the presence of the Russian flotilla is a regular occurrence and not a cause for concern. "We've been monitoring the Russians' plans for this. This is not a surprise. We've seen them make similar port calls in the past. These routine naval visits do not pose a threat to the United States," she said.
The USS Helena, which was commissioned in the 1980s, is part of the Los Angeles-class, fast-attack submarine fleet and is nuclear-powered. Its primary role is to survey and respond to potential threats worldwide.
Last year, a similar situation occurred when the USS Pasadena, another Los Angeles-class submarine, stopped in Guantanamo Bay, resulting in controversy from the Cuban government, which deemed it an escalation. According to the Pentagon, the current visit of a Russian submarine to Cuba is "in part" a reaction to the previous visit of a US submarine.
