Military of Cuba

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Revolutionary Armed Forces Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias
Service branches	Army Air and Air Defense Force Revolutionary Navy paramilitary units
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Pres. Raúl Castro
Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces	Gen. Julio Casas
Manpower
Active personnel	46,000 (2002 est.)
Reserve personnel	39,000 (2002 est.)
Expenditures
Percent of GDP	3.8% (2006)

The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces consist of ground forces, naval forces, air and air defence forces, and other paramilitary bodies including the Territorial Troops Militia (MTT), Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), and Youth Labor Army (EJT).

The armed forces has long been the most powerful institution in Cuba and high-ranking generals are believed to play crucial roles in all conceivable succession scenarios.^[1] The military controls 60 percent of the economy through the management of hundreds of enterprises in key economic sectors.^[2][3] The military is also Raúl Castro's base.^[3] In numerous speeches, Raúl Castro has emphasized the military’s role as a party vassal.^[4] After military, the most important "legs" of the regime are the Communist Party of Cuba and the security apparatus. Both are increasingly subordinate to the military and serve to control, mobilize, socialize, and indoctrinate the population under increased military supervision.^[2]

Contents 1 Overview 2 Army 2.1 Organization in 1996 2.2 Equipment 3 Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR) 4 Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR) 5 Air and Naval Air Bases 5.1 Inactive 5.2 Fleet 5.2.1 Current 5.2.2 Historic 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

Overview

From 1966 until the late 1980s, massive Soviet Union military assistance enabled Cuba to upgrade its military capabilities and project power abroad. The Soviet Union gave both military and financial aid to the Cubans. The tonnage of Soviet military deliveries to Cuba throughout most of the 1980s exceeded deliveries in any year since the military build-up during the 1962 missile crisis. In 1994, Cuba's armed forces were estimated to have 235,000 active duty personnel.

In 1989, the government instituted a purge of the armed forces and the Ministry of Interior, convicting Army Major General and Hero of The Republic of Cuba Arnaldo Ochoa, Ministry of Interior Colonel Antonio de la Guardia (Tony la Guardia), and Ministry of Interior Brigadier General Patricio de la Guardia on charges of corruption and drug trafficking. This judgment is known in Cuba as "Causa 1" (Cause 1). Ochoa and Antonio de la Guardia were executed. Following the executions, the Army was drastically downsized and the Ministry of Interior was moved under the informal control of Revolutionary Armed Forces chief General Raúl Castro (Fidel Castro's brother), and large numbers of army officers were moved into the Ministry of Interior.

Cuban military power has been sharply reduced by the loss of Soviet subsidies. Today, the Revolutionary Armed Forces number 49,000 regular troops.^[5] The DIA reported in 1998 that the country's paramilitary organizations, the Territorial Militia Troops, the Youth Labor Army, and the Naval Militia had suffered considerable morale and training degradation over the previous seven years but still retained the potential to "make an enemy invasion costly."^[6]. Cuba also adopted a "war of the people" strategy that highlights the defensive nature of its capabilities.

The Cuban military is currently being re-trained by Pakistan. The Pakistani military stressed to Cuba that it has strong defence infrastructure both in defence production and in shape of military academies to provide the necessary help and cooperation to turn the Cuban military into a modern and effective "blitzkrieg" military.^[7]

Army

In 1985, according to Jane's Military Review (Fourth Year of Issue), there were three major geographical commands, Western, Central, and Eastern. There were a reported 130,000 all ranks, and each command was garrisoned by an Army comprising a single armoured division, a mechanised division, and a corps of three infantry divisions, though the Eastern Command had two corps totalling six divisions.

A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment in the first half of 1998 said that the Army's armour and artillery units were at low readiness levels due to 'severely reduced' training, generally incapable of mounting effective operations above the battalion level, and that equipment was mostly in storage and unavailable at short notice.^[8] The same report said that Cuban special operations forces, comprising a battalion-sized airborne unit and a number of smaller units, continue to train but on a smaller scale than beforehand. While the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment and the current severe shortage of fuel have increasingly affected operational capabilities, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to any regional power.^[9]

Organization in 1996

There is estimated to be 38,000 army personnel^[5] organized into three Territorial Military Commands with three Armies; one army for each command^[10].

Revolutionary Army Command:

• Airborne brigade consisting of 2 battalions (at Havana and its immediate environs)
• Artillery division (at Havana and its immediate environs)
• SAM Brigade^[11]
• An anti-aircraft artillery regiment^[11]

Western Army (deployed in the capital and the provinces of Havana and Pinar del Rio)

• 1st Armored Training Division
• 70th Mechanized Division
• 78th Armored Division

2nd (Pinar del Rio) Army Corps:

• 24th Infantry Division
• 27th Infantry Division
• 28th Infantry Division

Central Army (Provinces of Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus)

• 81st Infantry Division
• 84th Infantry Division
• 86th Infantry Division
• 89th Infantry Division
• 12th Armored Regiment/1st Armored Division
• 242nd Infantry Regiment/24th Infantry Division

4th (Las Villas) Army Corps:

• 41st Infantry Division
• 43rd Infantry Division
• 48th Infantry Division

Eastern Army (Provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Granma, Holguin, Las Tunas, Camaguy and Ciego de Avila)

• 3rd Armored Division
• 6th Armored Division
• 9th Armored Division
• 31st Infantry Division
• 32nd Infantry Division
• 38th Infantry Division
• 84th Infantry Division
• 90th Infantry Division
• 95th Infantry Division
• 97th Infantry Division
• Guantanamo Frontier Brigade
• 123rd Infantry Division/former 12th Infantry Division
• 281st Infantry Regiment/28th Infantry Division

6th (Holguin) Army Corps:

• 50th Mechanized Division
• 52nd Infantry Division
• 54th Infantry Division
• 56th Infantry Division
• 58th Infantry Division

6th (Camaguey) Army Corps:

• 60th Mechanized Division
• 63rd Infantry Division
• 65th Infantry Division
• 69th Infantry Division

Equipment

Infantry Weapons

• AK-47 assault rifle
• AKM assault rifle
• AK-74 assault rifle
• AKS-74U carbine
• Norinco CQ assault rifle,unconfirmed
• RPK light machine gun
• SKS carbine
• Dragunov SVD sniper rifle
• PKM machine gun
• RPG-7 rocket propelled grenade launcher
• TT-33 semi-automatic pistol
• Makarov PM semi-automatic pistol

Light Tanks (50)

• PT-76

Medium Tanks (300)

• T-34 (300)^[12]

Main Battle Tanks (1,550)

• T-54/55 (1,100)^[12]
• T-62 (400)^[12]
• T-72 (50)

Reconnaissance Armoured Vehicles (100)

• BRDM-1
• BRDM-2

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (400)

• BMP-1 - 400
• BMD-1^[13]

Armoured Personnel Carriers (700)

• BTR-152
• BTR-40
• BTR-50
• BTR-60

Towed Artillery (500)

• ZIS-3
• D-30
• M-46

Self-Propelled Artillery (40)

• 2S1 Gvozdika
• 2S3 Akatsiya

Multi Rocket Launchers (175)

• BM-14
• BM-21
• P-15 Termit

Mortars (1000)

• M-41/43
• M-38/43

Anti-Tank Weapons

• AT-1 Snapper
• AT-3 Sagger
• D-44
• SU-100
• T-12

Anti-Aircraft Guns (400)

• ZU-23
• ZSU-23-4
• ZSU-57-2
• BTR-60P
• S-60

Ballistic missiles

• FROG-7 (70 km range) - 65 launchers^[14]
• Hwasong-5 / 6 (330 - 550 km range), unconfirmed

SAMs

• SA-6 Gainful
• SA-7 Grail
• SA-8 Gecko
• SA-9 Gaskin - 60
• SA-13 Gopher
• SA-14 Gremlin
• SA-16 Gimlet

Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR)

Cuban Air Force
Active
Country	Cuba
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	L-39, Mi-24
Fighter	MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29
Trainer	L-39
Transport	Mi-8, Mi-17, An-24

Former aircraft include: MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, North American B-25 Mitchell, North American P-51 Mustang, and the Hawker Sea Fury

In the 1980s, Cuba with the help of the Soviet Union was able to project power abroad, using its air force, especially in Africa. During that time Cuba sent jet fighters and transports to fight in countries such as Angola (against South Africa) and Ethiopia (against Somalia)

In 1990, Cuba's Air Force was the best equipped in Latin America. In all, the modern Cuban Air Force imported approximately 230 fixed wing aircraft. Although there is no exact figure available, Western analysts estimate that at least 130 (with only 25 operational^[15]) of these planes are still in service spread out among the thirteen military airbases on the Island.

In 1998, according to the same DIA report mentioned above, the air force had 'fewer than 24 operational MIG fighters; pilot training barely adequate to maintain proficiency; a declining number of fighter sorties, surface to air missiles and air-defense artillery to respond to attacking air forces^[16].

By 2007 the IISS assessed the force as 8,000 strong with 31 combat capable aircraft and a further 179 stored. The 31 combat capable aircraft were listed as 3 MiG-29s, 24 MiG-23s, and 4 MiG-21s. There were also assessed to be 12 operational transport aircraft plus trainers and helicopters.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Version	Total Del'd	Total Now
Combat Aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed	Soviet Union	fighter trainer	MiG-21MF MiG-21UM	60 10	4 4
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger	Soviet Union	fighter multirole fighter trainer	MiG-23MF/MS MiG-23ML MiG-23UB	21 21 5	6 10 2
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum	Soviet Union	fighter multirole fighter trainer	MiG-29B MiG-29UB	14 2	2 1
Mil Mi-8 Hip	Soviet Union	transport/attack helicopter	Mi-8T Mi-8TKV	20 20	4 2
Mil Mi-17 Hip-H	Soviet Union	transport/attack helicopter	Mi-17	16	8
Mil Mi-24 Hind	Soviet Union	attack	Mi-24D	20	4
Antonov An-24 Coke	Soviet Union /  Ukraine	cargo	An-24	20	4
Antonov An-26 Curl	Soviet Union	cargo	An-26	17	3
Yakovlev Yak-40 Codling	Soviet Union	VIP	Yak-40	8	3
Ilyushin Il-62	Soviet Union	VIP	Il-62	1	1
Ilyushin Il-96	Soviet Union	VIP	Il-96	2	2
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	trainer/attack	L-39C	30	7
Zlin Z-326	Czechoslovakia	trainer	Z-326T	60	20

Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR)

Almost all of the ships of the Navy have been decommissioned and the three Koni class frigates were either expended as targets or sunk to build reefs. Cuba has constructed rolling platforms with Soviet P-15 Termit missile batteries taken from its warships and placed them near beaches where hostile amphibious assaults may occur. Most patrol boats are non-operational due to lack of fuel and spares.

In 1998, according to the same CIA report, the navy had no functioning submarines, around 12 surface vessels that are combat ready, a 'weak' anti-surface warfare capability, primarily SS-N-2 Styx SSM equipped fast attack boats, and an 'extremely weak' anti-submarine warfare capability.

By 2007 the Navy was assessed as 3,000 strong by the IISS with six Osa-II and one Pauk-class fast attack craft.

The Navy also includes a small marine battalion called the Desembarco de Granma. It once numbered 550 men and its present size is not known.

Current manpower is estimated at 3,000 (includes 550+ Navy Infantry).

Air and Naval Air Bases

List of active bases:

• Cabañas (HQ Western Command) – San Julian Air Base (MUSJ)
  • 23rd Regiment (Mig-23ML)
  • Rwy 01/19 2041 m (6695 ft)
  • Rwy 08/26 2584 m (8479 ft)

• Holguin (HQ Eastern Command) – Frank País Airport (MUHG)
  • 1724 Interceptor Regiment (Mig-23BN)
  • 3710 Interceptor Squadron and Training
  • 34th Tactical Regiment

• Havana – Playa Baracoa Airport (MUPB)
  • 3405th Regimiento Ejecutivo (Mig-21B and Mig-23MF)

• Havana – José Martí Airport (MUHA)
  • 25th Transport Regiment (Il-76 and An-32)
  • Rwy 06/24, Size: 4001 m (13125 ft)

Inactive

• Mariel – Mariel Airfield (MUML) – now container terminal
  • former Ka-32 airbase

• Campo de Columbia – renamed Campo Libertad in 1961 (MULB)
  • 26th Transport Regiment (Mi-2 and Mi-8)
  • Training unit (L-39C and Z-326T)
  • 6775 ft runway

• Campo Teniente Brihuega

• Playa Baracoa – Playa Baracoa Airfield (MUPB)
  • 22nd Regiment

• Nicaro – Nicaro Airfield (MUNC)
  • abandoned airfield (single 4314 ft runway)

• Punta Movida
  • Soviet built base

• Cienfuegos – Cienfuegos Airport (Jaime González Air Station) (MUCF)
  • single 2/20 runway (4954 ft)‎
  • 15th Transport Regiment (An-2 and An-26)
  • 16th Helicopter Regiment (Mi-8, Mi-14, Mi-17)

• Güines
  • 24 Tactical Regiment (Mig-23BN)

• Santiago de Cuba – Antonio Maceo Airport (MUCU)
  • 35th Transport Regiment (An-2 and An-26)
  • 36 Helicopter Regiment (Mi-8 and Mi-24)
  • Rwy 09/27 4000 m (13123 ft)
  • Rwy 18/36 1296 m (4252 ft)

• San Antonio de los Baños – San Antonio de los Baños Airport (MUSA)
  • 21st Regiment (Mig-21B)
  • 1724 Regiment
  • 3 Runways
    • Rwy 01/19 2400 m (7873 ft)
    • Rwy 05/23 3596 m (11799 ft)
    • Rwy 12/30 2482 m (8144 ft)

• Santa Clara – Abel Santa María Airport (MUSC)
  • 14th Tactical Regiment (Mig-23BN)
  • Rwy 08/26 3017 m (9898 ft)

• Santa Cruz
  • 11 Regiment (Mig-21B)

• Sancti Spíritus – Sancti Spiritus Airport (MUSS)
  • 12th Regiment (Mig-21MF)
  • Rwy 03/21 1801 m (5908 ft)

• Camagüey – Ignacio Agramonte Airport (MUCM)
  • 31st Regiment (Mig-21MF)
  • Rwy 07/25 3000 m (9842 ft)

Fleet

Current

• 1  Soviet Union Pauk II Fast Patrol Craft, Coastal with 1 x 76 mm gun, 4 Anti-Submarine Torpedo Tube, 2 Anti-Submarine Weapon Rocket Launcher - 495 tons full load - commissioned 1990
• 6  Soviet Union Former Soviet Union (FSU) Osa II PFM missile boats; 13 Type II transferred
• 2  Soviet Union ex-Soviet Union (FSU) Sonya Mine Sweeper Coastal; 4 transferred
• 3  Soviet Union Former Soviet Union (FSU) Yevgenya Mine Sweeper Inshore; 11 transferred
• 1 Intelligence Collection Vessel
• 2 amphibious assault battalion
• 122 mm artillery
•  Soviet Union M-1931/3 artillery
•  Soviet Union 130 mm: M-46 artillery
•  Soviet Union 152 mm: M-1937 artillery
• 2  Soviet Union SS-C3 surface to surface missile systems, some mobile Bandera IV (reported)

The border guards have: 2 Stenka patrol boats and 18 Zhuk patrol craft

Historic

• 1  Soviet Union Soviet Foxtrot class submarine with 533 mm and 406 mm Torpedo Tube (non-operational); 3 transferred
• 2  Soviet Union Soviet Koni corvettes with 2 Anti-Submarine Weapon Rocket Launcher (non-operational); 3 transferred
• 4  Soviet Union Soviet Osa I/II missile boats with 4 SS-N-2 Styx Surface-to-Surface Missile+
• 1  Soviet Union Soviet Pauk II Fast Patrol Craft, Coastal with 2 Anti-Submarine Weapon Rocket Launcher, 4 Anti-Submarine Torpedo Tube
• 1  Soviet Union Soviet Polnocny LSM (medium landing ship), capacity 180 tps, 6tk (non-operational)

See also

• Cuban military ranks

References

Further reading

• Piero Gleijeses: Kuba in Afrika 1975-1991. In: Bernd Greiner /Christian Th. Müller / Dierk Walter (Hrsg.): Heiße Kriege im Kalten Krieg. Hamburg, 2006, ISBN 3-936096-61-9, S. 469-510. (Review by H. Hoff, Review by I. Küpeli)

External links

• (Spanish) Official site of the Revolutionary Armed Forces
• Foro Militar General (Cuban military forum)
• Cuban Air Force
• (Spanish)Secretos de Generales on Granma site
• Cuban Armed Forces Review

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