Russian warships in Havana prompt U.S. air surveillance response
Four Russian warships, including the nuclear-powered submarine "Kazań," are stationed in the port of Havana off the coast of Cuba. The Pentagon is closely monitoring their movements, which has not gone unnoticed by internet users tracking air traffic. According to them, the U.S. Navy uses the "submarine hunter," the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, to observe the unit. Accompanying it is the Canadian P-3 Orion aircraft.
The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the ships will be staying in Havana between 12 and 17 June. At the same time, it noted that none of the units carry nuclear weapons on board, and their presence is not a threat to the region. Despite these assurances, the United States prefers to keep everything under control and know exactly where "Kazań" is located, especially since Florida and the coast of Cuba are only about 250 kilometres apart.
P-8 Poseidon and P-3 Orion on the "hunt"
Applications that allow real-time flight tracking show that the American P-8 Poseidon and the Canadian P-3 Orion are circling over a designated area shaped like a square reports the Bulgarian Military. The service also noted that some internet users, observing the flights of Western patrol planes and sharing screenshots from the applications, even said, "The hunt has begun!" probably referring to the observations these machines could be conducting. However, it is worth noting that there is no official information yet about the results of this Canadian-American naval operation.
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is a maritime patrol aircraft designed for detecting and destroying submarines and surface ships and for rescue purposes. The accompanying Lockheed P-3 Orion serves the same functions.
The first of the mentioned machines is a modified version of the Boeing 737-800ERX with wings from the 737-900 version, developed by Boeing Defence, Space & Security for the U.S. Navy. On the other hand, the P-3 Orion is based on the Lockheed L-188 Electra passenger plane created by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Navy.
The P-8 Poseidon is an aircraft with a length of 39 meters, a height of 13 meters, and a wingspan of 37 meters. It is powered by two CFM International CFM56-7B turbofan engines, enabling it to reach a maximum speed of 900 kilometres per hour. Its service ceiling is estimated at 12,500 meters, and its range is over 7,000 kilometres. The heart of the P-8 Poseidon aircraft can be considered the AN/APY-10 radar, which allows, among other things, to detect and classify targets and map terrain.
The P-3 Orion has a length of over 35 meters, a height of 10 meters, and a wingspan of about 30 meters. Four Allison T56-A-14 turboprop engines power the aircraft. The machine can fly at a maximum speed of over 750 kilometres per hour, and it usually has a crew of 11 people onboard. The service ceiling for the P-3 Orion is 8,600 meters, and its range is 3,800 kilometres. Both the P-3 Orion and P-8 Poseidon are armed. This can include, for example, depth charges or missile systems.
