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The U.S. military vessel USAV Wilson Wharf departed this Saturday from the Guantanamo Naval Base and was detected sailing along Cuba's northern coast heading west, according to data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) published by maritime tracker @FlconEYES on X.
The sighting was recorded at 1:14 in the morning, when the ship was located at coordinates 21°11.340 N / 75°10.590 W, sailing at a speed between 9.7 and 10 knots on a northwest course, about 296-304 degrees.
The USAV Wilson Wharf is a vessel of the United States Army, classified as a roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) landing craft with a bow ramp, designed to transport heavy military vehicles, containers, and general cargo in coastal and amphibious operations.
It belongs to the LCU 2000 class, also known as the Runnymede class, and carries the designation LCU-2011.
The ship measures 53 meters in length and 12 meters in width, displaces approximately 575 tons, and can reach speeds of 12 knots empty and 10 knots when loaded, with a range of 4,500 nautical miles. It is assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in the state of Virginia.
The AIS history indicates that the Wilson Wharf entered Guantánamo Bay on October 4, 2025, left on the 13th of that same month, and re-entered on the very same day, with no record of departure until the sighting this Saturday, indicating that it remained at the base for over five months.
The ship's movement occurs against the backdrop of increasing U.S. military activity in the Caribbean.
In January 2026, the Southern Command repositioned the amphibious ships USS Iwo Jima and USS San Antonio off the northern coast of Cuba. In February, at least three military vessels were detected less than eight nautical miles from that same coast.
The Southern Spear Operation, active since September 2025, strengthens surveillance in the region against drug trafficking and smuggling linked to Cuba and Venezuela, with an estimated cost of around 3 billion dollars until February 2026.
The Wilson Wharf is not unfamiliar with high-profile missions. In March 2024, it participated in the logistics operation to Gaza (JLOTS), setting sail alongside the LSV-6 USAV SP/4 James A. Loux and other Army vessels from Fort Eustis to the Eastern Mediterranean.
General Francis L. Donovan, head of Southern Command, stated in March 2026 that the United States maintains contingency plans to manage a potential mass exodus and humanitarian crisis in Cuba.
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