Russia kills off Cold War monsters

The shutdown of the bases marks the end of the era

By Eurasia analyst Steven Eke

With Russia's announcement that it is to close two of its military bases, some of the last remaining Cold War symbols of Soviet might will disappear.

The radar station at Lourdes in Cuba was established in 1964 and was the Soviet Union's - and later Russia's - largest military facility abroad.

It is reported to intercept a wide range of commercial and government communications in the south-eastern United States, and also communications between the United States and Europe.

Cuba was a key Russian ally during the Cold War

Although Russia has never released any specific details, it is commonly thought that it also monitors White House communications, Nasa and the US Air Force.

The rental of the Lourdes site alone costs Russia more than $200m a year.

It would cost Russia roughly the same amount to purchase and launch 20 military spy-satellites, which are much more effective in monitoring international communications than ground-based facilities.

And against the background of improving US-Russia relations, Lourdes continues to embarass Moscow.

Changing targets

Cam Ranh Bay naval and air base in Vietnam is also an expensive luxury Russia has decided to do without.

The Vietnamese Government has wanted to increase the charges Russia pays to rent the facilities at a time when Russia's influence in the region has been greatly reduced.

The closure of Lourdes comes as relations with the US are warmer

The base had been a major US military installation during the Vietnam War. But after the US defeat and the establishment of Communist rule throughout Vietnam, its role was transformed.

It became a centre of Soviet signals intelligence, a point of arrival and departure of Soviet military aircraft and warships, and home to combat troops.

But following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's attention switched to monitoring Chinese communications in the South China Sea.

Rule of pragmatism

The closure of two Cold War monsters might seem to fit in well with the current atmosphere of growing co-operation between Russia and the United States.

There is a common enemy to fight against in the form of Afghanistan's Taleban regime.

The acute disagreements - over Russia's role in the post-Cold War world, the US plans for a national missile defence system, Chechnya and the simmering resentment at Nato's eastwards expansion - have been brushed under the carpet, temporarily at least.

The US Congress voted earlier this year to limit US financial aid to Russia unless the station at Lourdes was closed.

In closing the facilities, Russia is showing that it is pragmatism - not ideology or Russia's links with its former Communist allies - that rules.