10 hours ago
4
BLUFF — On 18 June, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researchers released a new study that says Cuba has completed construction of a major signals intelligence antenna array at its Bejucal facility near Havana. CSIS says that based on commercial imagery and open source information, this new construction significantly enhances Cuba’s ability to monitor and locate radio transmissions across a large portion of the Western Hemisphere. This is a specialized listening system designed to intercept radio transmissions and pinpoint their geographic origin with high precision. Construction on the antenna field appears complete, and the CSIS team assesses the facility has very likely begun operations.
In 2024, CSIS identified four Cuban sites featuring equipment that could support signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection, including several with possible links to China. Follow-on analysis of two of these sites, conducted in 2025, found major changes underway at one location, while work at the other had largely stalled. New commercial satellite imagery reveals that activity at both sites has continued.
Commercial imagery of the Bejucal site shows newly completed work on a large circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA). The CSIS researchers Matthew Funaiole, Brian Hart, Joseph Bermudez Jr., and Aidan Powers-Riggs say that this site has undergone a major transformation over the past two years. An older linear antenna grid has been replaced with a Circularly Disposed Antenna Array (CDAA), a specialized system designed to determine the direction and origin of radio signals. According to CSIS, this is the largest and most capable Cuban CDAA installation documented to date. Due to its location near Havana, the Bejucal facility is well positioned to observe U.S. naval operations in the Caribbean, military aviation activity across the southeastern United States, and shipping traffic throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
The Bejucal complex occupies a historically significant military site. The surrounding area was used during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when Soviet nuclear weapons were stationed in Cuba. In recent years, the facility has frequently appeared in public reporting, congressional testimony, and official U.S. statements regarding foreign intelligence activities in Cuba. While CSIS notes that there is no declassified public evidence proving direct Chinese operation of the specific antenna array, U.S. officials have acknowledged that China operates at least three intelligence facilities in Cuba.
Based on official statements, construction patterns, and previous assessments, CSIS researchers believe Bejucal is likely one of those locations. However, the exact operational arrangements and level of foreign involvement remain undisclosed.
PRC SIGINT infrastructure in Cuba would allow the PRC to:
- Monitor U.S. military exercises, missile tests, and space operations.
- Map electronic profiles of U.S. assets and communications networks.
- Potentially disrupt or influence communications in crisis scenarios
Cuba's proximity to the United States has long made the island strategically valuable for signals intelligence collection, and the completion of the Bejucal array reinforces the role that it can play for our adversaries in surveillance operations against the US. It is ironic that Cuba was ramping up its intelligence capabilities against the US at the same time that the Trump administration is imposing punishing economic sanctions on Cuba. In a May 2026 executive order, probably about the time that Cuba was finishing this upgrade, the Trump administration imposed additional sanctions on Cuba and cited the country's hosting of "foreign adversary facilities" targeting sensitive U.S. national security information.
That the Cuban government has responded to the crippling US economic blockade and sanctions with minor economic reforms while moving forward with increased surveillance activities is concerning but not surprising. This would fit with Cuba’s tactics: appear to be compromising while shoring up its ability to counter the US.
The Cuban government has not acknowledged its intelligence partnerships with US adversaries and now more than ever, the Cuban regime is likely arguing the need is great to better understand threats from the US. What is at risk for the US, however, is the potential that our adversaries can collect intelligence from the myriad military commands that are in the listening zones of these radars. This affects our ability to operate globally and with an element of surprise.
The Cipher Brief is committed to publishing a range of perspectives on national security issues submitted by deeply experienced national security professionals. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of The Cipher Brief.
Have a perspective to share based on your experience in the national security field? Send it to Editor@thecipherbrief.com for publication consideration.
Read more expert-driven national security insights, perspective and analysis in The Cipher Brief
