Thread by @TrentTelenko

The negative air defense reality of a 2,700km range one-way attack drone cannot be overstated for Russia or the USA.

Let us consider for a moment a Cuban "OWA-Drone Crisis" akin to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Drone threat 🧵
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Via a question to @grok of Cities of 500K(+) in OWA Drone range:

"Distances are approximate great-circle (straight-line/air) from Havana or central Cuba; actual drone paths could vary due to routing, wind, altitude, & launch site (e.g., closer to Florida from western Cuba)
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All listed cities are well under 2,700 km.Florida and Southeast (easiest reach)

Miami, FL (~370 km / 230 miles) — Well within range.

Jacksonville, FL (~1,000–1,100 km) — Within range.

Tampa/St. Petersburg area (metro >500k in cities/urban) — ~400–500 km.

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Atlanta, GA (~1,200 km / ~745 miles) — Comfortably within range.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

Washington, D.C. (~1,820–1,835 km / ~1,130–1,140 miles) — Within range.

Philadelphia, PA (~2,000–2,100 km) — Within range.

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New York City, NY (~2,100–2,150 km / ~1,306–1,333 miles) — Within or at the edge of a strong 2,700 km footprint.

Midwest and South

Chicago, IL (~2,170–2,335 km / ~1,327–1,451 miles) — Within range (closer from northern Cuba launch points).
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Houston, TX (~1,487–1,502 km / ~925–935 miles) — Well within range.

It gets worse when you ask about US stealth jet airbases in range of a 2,700km Cuban OWA Drone footprint.

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Via @grok:

"US military bases hosting F-22, F-35, or B-2 stealth aircraft within ~2,700 km (~1,678 miles) great-circle distance from Cuba (e.g., Havana or central/western launch points).
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F-22 Raptor Bases (Primary/Operational)

Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (training and operational units): ~800–900 km / ~500–560 miles. Very close.

Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Langley AFB), Virginia (major operational wing): ~1,650 km / ~1,025 miles. Well within range.

Holloman AFB, New Mexico (operational/training): ~2,200–2,400 km / ~1,370–1,490 miles. Within footprint.

Notes: Elmendorf-Richardson (Alaska) and others in the Pacific/North are far beyond 2,700 km. Nellis AFB (Nevada) is marginal/farther west (~2,600+ km depending on exact point).

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F-35 Lightning II Bases (USAF, USMC, etc.)

Eglin AFB, Florida (training/test): ~700–800 km / ~435–500 miles. Very close.

Tyndall AFB, Florida (additional F-35 units): Same as above, ~800–900 km.

Homestead ARB / nearby Florida sites (ANG/reserve potential): Even closer, under 500 km in some cases.

Shaw AFB, South Carolina (associated units): ~1,400–1,500 km.

Moody AFB, Georgia (planned/associated): ~1,100–1,200 km.

Langley-Eustis area, Virginia (possible rotations/shared): ~1,650 km.

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Other CONUS (F-35) bases farther out but potentially marginal/within depending on exact Cuba launch point:

Luke AFB, Arizona: ~2,500–2,600+ km (borderline west).

Hill AFB, Utah: Generally exceeds 2,700 km.

Nellis AFB, Nevada (Weapons School): ~2,600+ km, marginal.

Notes: Many ANG units (e.g., Burlington VT, Truax WI, Dannelly AL) and test sites like Edwards CA are farther north/west and mostly outside the footprint.

Overseas/forward sites (UK, Japan, etc.) are irrelevant here.

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B-2 Spirit Bases

Whiteman AFB, Missouri (sole operational base for the B-2 fleet): ~2,100–2,150 km / ~1,305–1,335 miles from Havana. Well within range.

Notes: B-2s forward-deploy from Whiteman to places like Andersen (Guam) or RAF Fairford (UK), but the home base is the key permanent location. "

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Shipping container drones are now a ubiquitous defense product for any nation with a medium industry production base⬇️

Plus, Chinese merchant armed raiders are now also a thing.

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defensenews.com/global/europe/…

This "Guam killer" threat range footprint in the latest generation of OWA-Drones which underscore my "Operation Spiderweb with Chinese Characteristics AKA Pearl Harbor 2 - The Drone Boogaloo" concerns.

The US air bases need hardened aircraft shelters ASAP.

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(@grok visualization map)

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