Military of Cuba
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| Military of Cuba | |
|---|---|
| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 17 years |
| Availability | males age 15-49: 3,134,622
|
| Fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,929,370
|
| Reaching military age annually | males: 83,992 females: 91,901 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | $572.3 million (2003) |
| Percent of GDP | roughly 1.8% (2003) |
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Until 1993, the Soviet Union was the key military, health, and humanitarian aid supporter of Cuba. |
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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).
Under Fidel Castro, Cuba became a highly militarized society. 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.[1] 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"[2]. Cuba also adopted a "war of the people" strategy that highlights the defensive nature of its capabilities.
The government has, however, maintained a large state security apparatus, under the Ministry of Interior (which also controls the Border Guard (TGF), for the stated purpose of suppressing "subversive" activities within Cuba.
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[edit] 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.[3] 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. [4]
[edit] Organization
Estimated 38,000 personnel[5] Headquarters; 3 Regional Commands, 3 Army
- up to 5 armoured brigades
- 9 mechanized infantry brigade (each 3 mechanized infantry, and 1 armoured, 1 artillery, 1 Air Defense artillery regiment)
- 1 Airborne brigade of two battalions
- 14 reserve brigades
- The Guantanamo Frontier Brigade - Surrounding the American base at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
- 1 air defence artillery regiment
- 1 surface-to-surface missile brigade
[edit] Equipment
Infantry Weapons
Light Tanks (50)
Medium Tanks (300)
Main Battle Tanks (1,550)
Reconnaissance Armoured Vehicles (100)
Infantry Fighting Vehicles (400)
- BMP-1 - 400
Armoured Personnel Carriers (700)
Towed Artillery (500)
Self-Propelled Artillery (40)
Multi Rocket Launchers (175)
Mortars (1000)
- M-41/43
- M-38/43
Anti-Tank Weapons
Anti-Aircraft Guns (400)
SAM's
[edit] 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 |
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[7])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-defence artillery to respond to attacking air forces[8].
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 |
[edit] 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 DIA 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.
[edit] Current
Manpower: 3,000 (includes 550+ Navy Infantry)
[edit] Bases
- Cabanas (HQ Western Command)
- Holguin (HQ Eastern Command)
- Cienfuegos
- Havana
- Mariel
- Nicaro
- Punta Movida
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Current
- 1 Former Soviet Union (FSU) Pauk II Fast Patrol Craft, Coastal with 1 x 76mm gun, 4 Anti-Submarine Torpedo Tube, 2 Anti-Submarine Weapon Rocket Launcher
- 4 Former Soviet Union (FSU) Osa II PFM missile boats
- 2 ex-Soviet Union (FSU) Sonya Mine Sweeper Coastal
- 4 Former Soviet Union (FSU)Yevgenya Mine Sweeper Inshore
- 1 Intelligence Collection Vessel
- 2 amphibious assault battalion
- 122mm artillery
- M-1931/3 artillery
- 130mm: M-46 artillery
- 152mm: M-1937 artillery
- 2 SS-C 3 systems, some mobile Bandera IV (reported)
[edit] Historic
- 1 Soviet Foxtrot with 533mm and 406mm Torpedo Tube (non-operational)
- 2 Soviet Koni with 2 Anti-Submarine Weapon Rocket Launcher (non-operational)
- 4 Soviet Osa I/II with 4 SS-N-2 Styx Surface-to-Surface Missile+
- 1 Soviet Pauk II Fast Patrol Craft, Coastal with 2 Anti-Submarine Weapon Rocket Launcher, 4 Anti-Submarine Torpedo Tube
1 Soviet Polnocny LSM, capacity 180 tps, 6tk (non-operational)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ IISS Military Balance 2007, p.70
- ^ Bryan Bender, 'DIA expresses cconcern over Cuban intelligence activity,' Jane's Defence Weekly, 13 May 1998, p.7
- ^ Bryan Bender, 'DIA expresses concern over Cuban intelligence activity', Jane's Defence Weekly, 13 May 1998, p.7
- ^ "
- ^ IISS Military Balance 2007, p.70
- ^ a b c d "Cuban Tanks"
- ^ Cuban Armed Forces Review: Air Force
- ^ Jane's Defence Weekly, 13 May 1998
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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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