Satellite Imagery Shows China Rebuilding Espionage Facilities in Cuba

17th Jul 2024
Satellite Imagery Shows China Rebuilding Espionage Facilities in Cuba

A 1st July report from Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington claims that China is bringing signals intelligence collection sites in Cuba back to life. The assertion is based on the latest U.S. satellite data. At less than 100 miles from Florida, these military intelligence facilities could intercept data from US satellite downlinks as well as ground-based transmissions. The Pentagon and U.S. lawmakers are calling for action against these espionage attempts.

Satellite images warn of possible threat

In the report, CSIS details features in the satellite images and claims that the Cuban sites offer crucial opportunities to monitor radio traffic and intercept data from American satellites passing over important military installations. Since Florida is home to key facilities, including Cape Canaveral and the headquarters of U.S. Southern and Central Command, the renovation of these sites becomes especially troubling.

Cuba has no space programme or satellites of it’s own, and Russia has been ruled out as the source of the rebuilding drive. The experts say the rebuilding would allow China to conduct radio reconnaissance, including emails, phone calls, and satellite transmissions.

 “Collecting data on activities such as military exercises, missile tests, missile launches, and submarine maneuvers will allow China to build a more sophisticated picture of US military practices,” the report said.

Spy in the neighborhood

In 2022, China and Cuba agreed to closer defense and intelligence cooperation. The cooperation includes the establishment of a joint military training center and spy base in Cuba. As The Wall Street Journal reported last year, China likely paid Cuba several billion dollars to build the spy facility.

A former U.S. intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that a Chinese listening post would be a “big deal,” marking an expansion of Beijing’s spying capabilities and giving it access to radio intelligence as far north as Washington.

If such a facility is built, the Chinese would use Cuba “as a springboard for data collection against the United States,” said Daniel Hoffman, a former high-ranking CIA undercover officer.

What satellites saw in Cuba

Published satellite images show that Chinese electronic eavesdropping stations in Cuba have been actively expanding over the past few years, with new facilities being built about 70 miles from the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay. Careful analysis of data from space indicates that four military sites in Cuba have been modernized: Bejucal, El Salao, Wajai, and Calabazar.

Thus, in the interests of China’s military and space program, to better monitor and communicate with satellites, the Bejucal site, the largest of them all, has had its space monitoring equipment increased and its electronic antenna housing renewed.  60 years ago, the facility was used as a storage base for Soviet nuclear weapons.

Significant development was seen at the Vajay and Calabazar sites near Havana. There, analysts point to antennas, radar dishes, and other satellite monitoring equipment being installed.

The Wajai facility has expanded continuously over the past two decades, from a single antenna and a few small buildings in 2002 to 12 antennas of various sizes and orientations, significant operations and support facilities, and even a small solar farm.

The Cuban military complex at Calabazar has undergone modernization and now has two visible antenna arrays and more than a dozen antennas of various sizes scattered across a fenced area.

The El Salao facility, which is located near the city of Santiago de Cuba and dangerously close to the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, is still under construction, according to the images.

At this location, the cause for concern may be the rapid progress in deploying a 425 to 655-foot diameter antenna array that can track signals up to 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles) away.

The number, position, and direction of the antennas has changed significantly, likely in response to changes in the facility’s mission, the report said.

Cuba denies all suspicions

Earlier, in an interview with CBS News, Cuban officials, including the foreign minister, categorically denied the existence of Chinese spy bases in Cuba. According to their statement, none of the more than 100 diplomatic missions based in the country have been able to detect or produce any evidence of such facilities.

However, CSIS draw conclusions that contradict these denials. It cites several highly classified and protected facilities that fit the characteristics of espionage activities.

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