Office of the Historian

260. Paper Prepared in the National Security Council1 2

Washington, May 19, 1972
[Page 1]

CHRONOLOGY OF SOVIET NAVAL DEPLOYMENTS TO CUBA

[Page 2]
3 March 1972 (?) Two TU–95 naval reconaissance aircraft arrive in Havana.
5 March 1972 Kotlin-class destroyer, F-class diesel attack submarine and a merchant tanker arrive at Cienfuegos. Ocean rescue tug (from previous visit) remains in Cienfuegos. Conduct joint operations with Cuban Navy out of Cienfuegos.
10 March 1972 Two TU–95 naval reconnaissance aircraft depart Havana.
16 March 1972 Merchant tanker departs Cuba.
23 March 1972 Naval oiler arrives in Cuban waters and joins units in Cienfuegos.
12 April 1972 Destroyer, F-class submarine and naval oiler depart Cienfuegos.
14 April 1972 Destroyer, F-class submarine and oiler arrive in Havana. Continue to participate in joint operations in Gulf of Mexico.
18 April 1972 Destroyer, F-class submarine and naval oiler depart Havana.
19 April 1972 Destroyer, F-class submarine and oiler arrive Mariel. Ocean rescue tug departs Cienfuegos for Havana.
22 April 1972 Destroyer and F-class submarine move from Mariel to Havana. Ocean rescue tug and naval oiler also in Havana.
24 April 1972 F-class submarine moves to Mariel (where it remains until May 15).
27 April 1972 Destroyer arrives in Bay of Nipe. Ugra submarine tender operating from the Black Sea arrives in Bay of Nipe.
29 April 1972 G–II class ballistic missile submarine arrives in Bay of Nipe (first visit of Soviet ballistic missile submarine outside the USSR. First time Cubans give visiting Soviet ships the use of a direct communications link with Cuban naval headquarters in Havana).
6 May 1972 G–II submarine and destroyer leave Nipe Bay. Subtender remains.
8 May 1972 G–II submarine and destroyer leave the Caribbean.
9 May 1972 Ugra subtender moves from Nipe Bay to Santiago de Cuba.
10 May 1972 E–II nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine detected 780 n.mi. east of Newfoundland.
12 May 1972 Ugra subtender leaves Santiago de Cuba and heads out of Caribbean.
15 May 1972 F-class submarine leaves Mariel apparently to return home.
17 May 1972 Contact on possible submarine 260 n.mi. east of Charleston, S.C. which may equate to E–II submarine last located east of Newfoundland.
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 782, Country Files, Latin America, Soviet Naval Activity in Cuban Waters, Vol. I, Cienfuegos. Top Secret; Sensitive. The date is handwritten.↩
  2. The National Security Council Staff prepared a chronology of March–May Soviet naval deployments to Cuba.↩