An American fast-attack submarine has sailed into Cuba a day after a Russian fleet, including one of the nation’s most advanced nuclear subs, docked in Havana, according to the US Navy announced.
The USS Helena, a nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class submarine, arrived at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Thursday as part of a scheduled port visit, US Southern Command said.
“The fast-attack submarine USS Helena is in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as part of a routine port visit as it transits the US Southern Command geographic area of responsibility while conducting its global maritime security and national defense mission,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement.
The arrival of the Cold War-era hunter-killer sub follows Russia’s move to sail a frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker and rescue tug into Cuba a day earlier to conduct military exercises in the Atlantic.
Of most interest to the US is the presence of the the Kazan, a Yasen-class cruise missile submarine, which is equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles — reportedly capable of traveling nine times the speed of sound.
The missiles, which can be armed with nuclear warheads, have a range of 625 miles and are designed to overwhelm anti-air defenses with their speed.
SOUTHCOM said the USS Helena’s visit was pre-planned, suggesting it was not dispatched as a result of the arrival of the Russian fleet.
Defense officials said the Russian vessels are being monitored closely.
The USS Helena is a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine that was launched in 1986.
The 360-feet-long nuclear vessel is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and MK48 torpedoes, and can travel nearly 29 mph, according to the Submarine Industrial Base Council.
In contrast, the Kazan is one of the Russian navy’s newest weapons, commissioned in 2021.
The Kremlin vessel measures nearly 460 feet in length and has a top speed of about 23 mph, according to the US military.
Yasen-class submarines can have between 85 to 64 crew members on hand, whereas the Los Angeles class vessels carry 143 service members aboard.
US and Cuban officials have said that while the submarine is nuclear powered, it is not carrying nuclear weapons.
American officials added that they expect the Kazan and its entourage to remain in the region through the summer, with a possible stop scheduled in Venezuela.
Russian ships and submarines have been docked in Havana since 2008 as part of Russian military exercises.
