Since the 60s of the twentieth century, Freedom Island has been one of the most important geopolitical allies of the USSR, receiving a significant amount of modern military equipment. As a result, the Cuban army became the strongest in Latin America both in the quantity and quality of weapons and in the level of combat training, which was demonstrated in the wars in Ethiopia and Angola. The most important achievement of the Cuban Armed Forces was their victory in Angola over the formally African, but actually Anglo-Saxon army of South Africa in the late 80s.

The collapse of the USSR was a disaster for Cuba. Since that time, the country's armed forces have not received any new military equipment, which is why they have become very degraded. To correct the situation in Cuba, the production of “hybrids” was established. For example, self-propelled guns, air defense missile launchers and coastal anti-ship missiles on the T-55 chassis. In turn, the T-55 turrets are installed on the BTR-60P, resulting in a BMTV. Similar combinations are made with the BMP-1. The apotheosis of such hybridization was frigates from fishing trawlers. Such a “rearrangement of terms” does not provide a real increase in the combat power of the Armed Forces, since the sum remains the same. There is no real renewal of weapons, which is leading the Cuban army to complete degradation in the foreseeable future.

Ground troops are divided into three armies - Western, Central, Eastern. The Western includes the 2nd AK (headquarters in Pinar del Rio, the AK includes the 24th, 27th, 28th infantry divisions), the 70th mechanized, the 1st training and 78th armored divisions, the 72nd and 79th yu reserve infantry divisions.

Central Army: 4th AK (Las Villas, 41, 43, 48 Infantry), 81, 84, 86, 89th Infantry, 242nd Infantry Regiment 24th Infantry, 12th Armored Regiment 1st Training armored division. Eastern Army: 5th AK (Holguin, 50th Mechanized, 52, 54, 56, 58th Infantry), 6th AK (Camagüey, 60th Mechanized, 63, 65, 69th Infantry), 3 , 6th, 9th Armored, 31st, 32nd, 38th, 90th, 95th, 97th, 123rd Infantry Divisions, Guantanamo Bay Border Brigade, 281st Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. Most divisions are brigades in peacetime and are intended to be deployed only in wartime.

65 launchers of the extremely outdated Luna TR remain in service. The tank fleet consists of approximately 800 T-55s (up to 450 more in storage), 400 T-62s, 60 light PT-76s and possibly 51 T-72s. There are at least 100 BRM (up to 50 BRDM-1, 50–100 BRDM-2), 16 BTR-100 BMTV (BTR-60 with T-55 turret), 16 BTR-73 BMTV (BTR-60 with BMP-1 turret ), from 50 to 60 BMP-1, up to 100 BTR-60P, up to 100 BTR-40, up to 150 BTR-152.

Artillery includes from 20 to 40 self-propelled guns 2S1 (122 mm), up to 40 self-propelled guns 2S3 (152 mm), at least 8 self-propelled guns BMP-122 (D-30 howitzer on the BMP-1 chassis), at least 8 wheeled self-propelled guns with M guns -46, A-19 and D-20 in the back of trucks. The number of towed guns is approximately 500 - up to 140 D-30, up to 100 M-30, up to 90 A-19, up to 190 M-46, up to 100 ML-20, up to 90 D-20, up to 50 D-1. As stated above, some of these guns turned into self-propelled guns, thus ceasing to be towed. There are up to 2 thousand mortars (82 and 120 mm), 178 BM-21 MLRS and, possibly, a number of obsolete MLRS (BM-14-16, BM-24, M-51). In service are several hundred anti-tank systems "Malyutka", "Fagot" and up to 700 anti-tank missiles - about 600 ZIS-2 and 100 self-propelled SU-100.

Military air defense includes three divisions of the Kvadrat air defense system (12 launchers), about 120 short-range air defense systems (60 Strela-1, 16 Osa, 42 Strela-10), more than 200 MANPADS (60 Strela-2, 50 Strela-3", 120 "Igla-1"), up to 120 ZSU (up to 23 ZSU-57-2, from 36 to 50 ZSU-23-4, at least 32 ZSU on the BTR-60 chassis, incl. 16 with ZU-23-2 and 16 with 61-K gun), up to 900 anti-aircraft guns (approximately 380 ZU-23, 280 61-K, 200 S-60).

Due to the antiquity of the technology and the aforementioned “hybridization,” it is extremely difficult to establish the exact number of combat-ready samples of each type.

Air Force affected by the obsolescence of weapons and military equipment much more than the ground forces, therefore they are very close to complete retirement. In organizational terms, they are divided into three air zones, each of which includes one air brigade: “West” (2nd brigade), “Center” (1st), “East” (3rd).

Currently, no more than 40 fighters remain operational: 2–4 MiG-29 (another 6–10 in storage), up to 24 MiG-23, 6–14 MiG-21. Transport aviation has been completely curtailed. 1 Yak-40, up to 10 An-2, up to 18 An-26 are in storage. The Air Force retains Czechoslovak-made training aircraft - up to 8 Z-142, up to 27 L-39С.

There are four Mi-35 combat helicopters in service (another 8 and up to 11 Mi-25 in storage). Multi-purpose and transport helicopters - up to 30 Mi-17 (about 12 more in storage), up to 14 Mi-8, 5 Mi-14 are in storage.

The ground-based air defense system includes up to 42 divisions of the S-75 air defense system (at least 144 standard launchers, another 24 launchers on the T-55 chassis), up to 28 divisions of the S-125M air defense system (at least 60 standard launchers, another 36 on the T-55 chassis ).

In the coming years, only Mi-17 helicopters will remain combat-ready in the Cuban Air Force; all other equipment will be decommissioned.

Navy were unable to maintain most of the Soviet-built ships and boats. The submarine fleet currently consists of four Dolphin-class SMPLs (a variant of the North Korean Yugo-class SMPLs). The largest surface ships are two Rio Damuji-class frigates. They are former Spanish fishing trawlers, on which P-15U anti-ship missiles from decommissioned missile boats and a ZSU-57-2 land turret were installed. The largest “normal” warship is the Project 1241P corvette.

6 missile pr. 205U and patrol boats remain in service: 2-3 pr. 205P and 18-30 pr. 1400, 5-8 minesweepers (2-3 pr. 1265, 3-5 pr. 1258).

In storage, there may be up to 3 submarines of Project 641, 1 frigate of Project 1159, about 12 missile boats and up to 9 torpedo boats, 1–2 minesweepers of Project 1265 and up to 7 Project 1258, 1–2 TDK of Project 771, however, in reality, it is unlikely that at least one of those listed is able to return to duty.

The Cuban Navy has two marine battalions. Coastal defense has significant potential. It includes the P-15 anti-ship missile system (including the launchers of these anti-ship missiles, removed from missile boats and installed on the T-55 chassis), as well as A-19, M-46, ML-20 guns (from among those indicated higher).

The only potential enemy of Cuba is the United States; Latin American countries have neither the ability nor the desire for a military invasion of the island. Of course, the potentials of the US and Cuban armed forces are currently completely incomparable. However, the island position and the continued high level of combat and moral-psychological training of personnel make the invasion of Cuba a rather difficult operation even for the American Armed Forces.

Washington will intervene only in the event of serious internal destabilization on the island. Therefore, the current degradation of the Cuban Armed Forces has not yet led to catastrophic consequences for the country. Restoring their potential is unlikely. Russia, of course, could supply Cuba with modern equipment, but in the current situation it is not ready to do this for free, and Havana does not and will not have the money. Moreover, a certain, albeit rather limited, rapprochement between Cuba and the United States has begun. This only makes Havana less willing to spend the missing money on rearmament.

/Alexander Khramchikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, vpk-news.ru/

Cuba (Spanish Cuba), official name - Republic of Cuba (Spanish República de Cuba), unofficial since 1959 - Liberty Island) is an island state in the northern Caribbean Sea. The country occupies the territory of the island of Cuba as part of the Greater Antilles, Isla Juventud and many smaller islands. Cuba is separated from North America by the Strait of Florida in the north and the Yucatan Strait in the west.

The capital and largest city is Havana.

Population

Cubans are a people of mixed origin. By the time the Spaniards arrived here, Cuba was inhabited by tribes of Sibones, Arawak Indians, Guanahanabeys and Indians who migrated from Haiti. But as a result of Spanish colonization, the Indians were mostly exterminated.

Since the Spanish colonists needed a lot of labor, primarily to work on the plantations, they began to import slaves from Central Africa (mainly Yoruba, Ashanti, Ewe, Congo). Over 350 years, the Spaniards imported more than 1 million African slaves, their descendants make up 40% of the population. For the same reason, more than 125,000 Chinese were imported from Asia between 1853 and 1874. To this day, Havana still has a “Chinatown”. In addition, Indian slaves were imported, but in small quantities, from Yucatan, Central and South America. During the same period, 850,000 immigrants arrived from Spain, mostly Galicians, Castilians, Navarreans, and Catalans, although it should be noted that not all of them remained to live in Cuba. They are collectively called Gallego (Galicians). From the end of the 18th century. a large influx of French from Haiti and Louisiana also arrived here. There was also a fairly intense flow of immigrants from Germany, Italy and Britain. At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans settled in Cuba and created their own colonies on the island. Pinos (presently Isle of Juventud). There were very strong waves of immigration to Cuba during and after the First and Second World Wars, primarily Jews moving here.

In 1953, the proportion of the white population was 84%, but then decreased, mainly as a result of emigration after the revolution.

Armed forces

The Cuban Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias - FAR) is the main armed formation of Cuba, ensuring its national defense.

The Cuban Constitution specifies that the country's president is the supreme commander in chief and determines the structure of its army.

The Cuban Army includes the following units:

• Ground troops
• Air Force and Air Defense.

The Cuban Army is under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Raúl Castro.

In popular culture

Cuba in music

• Guantanamera is a famous Cuban song and the unofficial anthem of Cuba.
• Caste - “Viva La Revolucion!”

Cuba in literature

• Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea

Cuba in cinema

I am Cuba (dir. Mikhail Kalatozov)

Education

Cuba has a traditionally high educational level of the population (99.8% of the population is literate). Since the beginning of the 20th century, there has been a system of state free 9-grade elementary education for children from 6 to 14 years old (the ninth grade was optional, the rest are compulsory). In 1932, 90% of school-age children attended elementary schools (state and church). In 1951, illiterates accounted for 22% of the adult population, which was lower than in Spain and pre-war Italy.

It is still surprising that the Republic of Cuba exists in close proximity to the United States, which took the path of building socialism back in the 50s of the last century.

Cuba is very interesting. And it has been going on since 1492, when the famous European Columbus set foot on the island. Since then, the indigenous inhabitants - the Taino Indians - had to fight for their independence against the colonialists: first with the European ones, and then the United States declared their right to the territory of the island.

From 1952 to 1959, Cuba was under the brutal dictatorship of Batista. Cuban revolutionaries repeatedly tried to destroy the dictatorship that had already become obsolete. Both left and right forces, rich and poor, are fed up with the Batista regime. The desire to get rid of the dictatorial regime was strengthened by the open connection between the Cuban government and the American mafia. The difficult economic and social situation in the country, the lack of democracy and the opportunity to take into account the interests of the dissatisfied led to an explosion. Revolution in Cuba became inevitable. General indignation led to the success of the revolution led by F. Castro.

We can confidently say that the revolution in Cuba was carried out not so much by a handful of revolutionaries, but with the help of the people and those who were in power (except Batista himself, of course). The United States tried to maintain its influence on the island. The so-called “Bay of Pigs Operation” is known as the crushing defeat of US mercenaries inflicted by Cuban rebel forces more than half a century ago in the Bay of Cochins. The battle lasted only 72 hours. The Cubans completely defeated the so-called “Brigade 2506,” which consisted of Cuban emigrants trained by US intelligence agencies. “Brigade 2506” included 4 infantry battalions, a tank unit, airborne troops, a heavy artillery division and special forces - a total of 1,500 people. As a result of the battle, almost all of the interventionists were captured or destroyed.

Cubans defended their right to live the way they want. But they had to constantly be ready to defend their independence. All this time, the Cubans live in constant readiness to repel a military invasion of the “rebellious” island by the United States.

Today, after a fairly long period of time, we can note the country’s achievements after a radical regime change. Cubans are believed to have the longest life expectancy of any country in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba has high-quality free healthcare and advanced education. If Cuba used to be a supplier of sugar, now it exports brains: for example, Cuban doctors provide highly qualified care on different continents of the world. It is difficult to say whether state regulation of the economy can be considered an asset of the Cuban regime, but transformations are currently underway in this industry: small private enterprises are allowed in Cuba - hairdressers, workshops and production cooperatives. Now Cubans receive international passports without any problems: many leave the country, but there are also those who return to the sunny island. Despite great changes and strengthening contacts with the outside world, the Cuban regime not only survived, but also strengthened.

A fairly reasonable question arises: why has the United States of America, which dictates its will to many countries of the world and easily carries out military intervention in the affairs of sovereign states, still not subjugated Cuba? The answer lies on the surface - the Americans are well aware of how much this will cost them. All these years, the Cuban armed forces, which grew out of the rebel groups of the Cuban revolution, are the most trained and well-armed army in the world. And although it is inferior in numbers to many armed forces of other countries, the morale of the military personnel and the excellent training of the officers makes the Cuban army the most combat-ready.

The Cuban armed forces are recruited on the basis of conscription, the service period is 1 year. Both men and women serve in the army: there are even tank companies and helicopter regiments in which only women serve.

Liberty Island has long been turned into an impregnable citadel. Many vacationers on the wonderful sandy beaches do not even realize that just a few meters from their sun loungers there are well-camouflaged pillboxes and military installations. And in the karst caves, which the Cubans are so proud of, there are storage bases for military equipment and prepared firing points. The Cuban military has implemented an effective method of preserving military equipment. 70% of the available weapons are located at storage bases and are ready for immediate use, along with related equipment and supplies. For example, tanks, self-propelled guns, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and infantry fighting vehicles are stored in packs, along with the necessary supply of batteries and ammunition. The necessary climatic conditions are created for the stored equipment - optimal humidity and temperature. For this purpose, modern, expensive equipment was purchased.

Back in the 80s of the last century, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro officially announced the Cuban military doctrine with the significant name “People's War”. The implementation of the doctrine led to the fact that Cuba turned into a powerful fortified area and base capable of ensuring a general guerrilla war in the event of an external attack. Not only the country’s armed forces, but also civilians, who are united in territorial units of the people’s militia, are involved in carrying out the assigned tasks for the defense of the island. The harmony of the people's forces and the regular army is so great that together they will be able to effectively resist any aggressor. The Cubans claim that every citizen of the country, whether military or civilian, knows where and at what time he must arrive in the event of hostilities or the threat of attack. About 1.4 thousand defense zones and borders have been formed in Cuba. The aggressor is unlikely to be able to cope with such an organized confrontation.

To maintain a high level of readiness to repel any attack, once every few years Cuba conducts the combined arms exercise Bastion, in which military personnel and civilians participate. The number of civilians participating in the exercise significantly exceeds the number of the Cuban army. Russia (and not only Russia) should envy such organization and the level of patriotism of every citizen of Cuba.

Almost every Russian knows about the Alpha and Vympel special forces, but Cuba also has highly professional military units, although little is known about them. We are talking about Cuban special forces - Tropas Especiales "Avispas Negras". This unit is also called the “Black Wasps”. It was formed to ensure the security of the country's top leadership. Initially, it included experienced fighters who served in Latin American countries and had experience in guerrilla and insurgent warfare during the period of the destruction of the Batista dictatorship. With the permission of Fidel Castro, the Black Wasps special forces took part in supporting revolutionary movements abroad.

So, in 1975, Cuban special forces were deployed to Angola to help the People's Liberation Movement for the liberation of Angola. This African state was a very tasty morsel for the United States and South Africa - the country had rich mineral resources: diamonds, oil, phosphates, gold, iron ore, bauxite and uranium, so they made every effort to prevent the leaders of the pro-Marxist movement from coming to power. Today we can say with confidence that the mission of Cuban military specialists contributed to Angola’s choice of the socialist path of development.

In addition, Cuban special forces fought in Ethiopia and Mozambique, in Central American countries. One of the Cuban officers who fought in Ethiopia said that “Russian advisers for the Ethiopians are like Martians. Firstly, they are “faranji” (white), and secondly, they live almost under communism. Another thing is us Cubans: among us there are many mulattoes, there are blacks. Besides, not long ago we lived in the same filth and hopelessness, just like the Ethiopians. Therefore, we easily understand each other.” And today, Cuban military advisers are fighting in many countries around the world.

The Cuban special forces "Black Wasps" specialize in combat operations in the jungle. Experts admit that today the Black Wasps are the best special forces that can operate effectively in tropical conditions, and the level of training of each fighter has no analogues in the world in terms of complexity.

To train special forces of this level, a well-equipped training center is required. And such a Center was opened in 1980 in the city of Los Palacios. The Cubans gave it the name "School" - Escuela Nacional de Tropas Especiales Baragua. On the territory of the Center, which occupies a huge territory, artificial reservoirs, swamps, a model of the city, a network of underground communications and much more were built. At the same time, about 2.5 thousand cadets can undergo retraining at this Center. And not only the Black Wasps, but also parachute troops, marines, and military personnel from other countries. The teachers are not only Cubans: for example, Chinese army officers teach as instructors at this Center.

The main disciplines at the Center are tactics of warfare in the jungle, training in methods of survival in difficult conditions and covert penetration into enemy territory, methods of sabotage, mastering martial arts, sniper art, diving and parachute training, as well as mastering the skills of conducting information and psychological warfare . By the way, it was the Cuban officer Raul Riso who developed a special style of martial arts based on “karate-operetiva”, which was used in the training of specialists from the KGB of the USSR and the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense, and special forces soldiers “Vympel” and “Alpha”.

The tactics of the “Black Wasps” are based on the action of individuals or small groups of reconnaissance saboteurs who are able to remain autonomous for a long time when operating on enemy territory. The fighters of the “Black Wasps” are masters of all types from many countries of the world: be it AKMS, AKMSN, Vintorez, RPG-7V, SVD, AS “Val” or the Hungarian ADM-65 or the Czech CZ 75, or Cuban-made weapons. Cuba can rightfully be proud of its special forces.

This is how the soldiers of the Soviet Alpha unit, who were trained at the Cuban military training center, described the training of the Cuban special forces “Black Wasps”. The camp was located in a picturesque lowland, surrounded by forested hills. The teaching was conducted by experts in their field. The Alpha team especially remembered training on the so-called “Che Guevara trail.” The trail is a route that goes through seven hills, the length of the trail is about 8 km. The trail is equipped with training booby traps, obstacles of varying difficulty, trip wires and other unexpected surprises for the special forces. Dress code: shorts and no shoes. To increase the load, each fighter carries with him a blank weighing about 8 kg, simulating a Kalashnikov assault rifle, and a pouch with training mines was also attached to his belt. The Alpha members remember well that they returned “dead” from the first training session. Subsequently, the center’s teachers taught the cadets to navigate minefields, and they had to clear all types of mines “blindly” and by hand, quickly overcome barbed wire barriers, remove sentries and penetrate airfields, warehouses, fuel terminals, etc.

Walking the “Che Guevara trail” every day, practicing various modes of movement, and intense physical training are standard training for a Cuban special forces soldier. Moving in a bent position causes pain in all muscles after just 15 minutes, and cadets are required to walk like this for hours. In addition, this walking was practiced as part of a group: the person walking in front felt the ground in front of him with his feet to detect tripwires and mines. The group follows closely behind. Since the human eye reacts to rapid movement, the group moves slowly and smoothly for greater stealth, so as to be able to immediately freeze if a flare takes off. Special forces soldiers are taught to completely merge with their environment.

To master all the disciplines in the training center of the Cuban special forces, it takes enormous will and, of course, time.

Just look at the night crawling for 12 hours straight. The task of the group in this case is to unnoticed penetration into a protected facility. The fighters move slowly, overcoming obstacles of various levels, including noise mats made of reeds, dry leaves, fragments of slate, barbed wire fences (the wire is first bitten, broken by hand - in this case it does not make a sound, then spread with special hooks in different directions and provide a passage for exit). In complete darkness, the leader of the group, when finding mines, checks them for removability, neutralizes traps, removes trip wires or marks their locations. At this time, the group lies motionless and waits for his command. The fighters are smeared with mud or a masking composition made from herbs, and the weapons are also treated so that glare is not visible.

During the training process, Cuban special forces soldiers, in addition to group operations, participate in comprehensive training at various facilities. For example, they learn to place a magnetic mine on a tank that turns out to be empty - after all, when you bring a magnet to it, a sound is heard comparable to a small explosion, and as a result the task will be considered failed.

During a training mission to destroy a battalion located in a barracks, seven Cuban special forces soldiers quietly approach the object and throw bombs, previously brought in waist bags (bolso), into the windows of the barracks. At the same time, the towers with sentries are destroyed. Those few enemy fighters who survived the first strike by special forces, as a rule, can no longer provide worthy resistance.

Fuel terminals, planes at airfields, and ammunition depots are exploding, and a special forces group has already left the site, camouflaging their trips. Such training builds power and energy in every fighter.

All existing types of weapons are mastered at the training center. Cuban instructors teach you how to shoot for real: day, night, on the move, by sound, at a moving target, from the hip, by flash and much more. The soldiers mastered the unique skill of shooting from a mortar without a base plate (from the moment of the first launch to the first explosion, the cadets managed to fire up to 12 shots) - the fire strike was deafening, and the crew left the firing point in a timely manner.

The fighters also undergo training in combat operations in urban environments - they master hiding operations, methods and locations, methods of movement around the city, detection and evasion of surveillance.

It is believed that Cuban special forces are one of the best at organizing ambushes and kidnappings.

The Cubans, teaching the tactics of the operation in the most detailed way, make all participants, without exception, think. They believe that a commander or fighter will be able to make the only correct decision only if he knows many similar decisions, and for this, training is based on working out any surprises. Inputs for assignments can be the most incredible. The main goal of the training is that there should be no unexpected questions or situations during special operations. All possible situations are thought through as much as possible - only then is any operation “doomed” to success.

The Cuban army is in constant combat readiness. Meanwhile, the country lives, works, rejoices, raises children - its future. An economic crisis is raging around the world, and Cuba is implementing social programs, strengthening its healthcare and education systems. The Cuban government is investing in “human capital,” which means the country has a future.

Materials used:
http://forts.io.ua/s423545/#axzz2jmLMcTIQ
http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2011/8/2011_8_4.php
http://www.redstar.ru/index.php/news-menu/vesti/iz-moskvy/item/9914-pod-zharkim-nebom-afriki

Includes

• Revolutionary Army of Cuba [d]
• Revolutionary Air Force and Air Defense Force of Cuba
• Revolutionary Cuban Navy [d]
• Territorial militia units [d]
• Army of working youth [d]
• Production and defense brigades [d]

Story

The Cuban armed forces were first created at the beginning of the 20th century from rebel units - "mambi" who participated in the Revolutionary War.

As of 1914, the armed forces of Cuba totaled 5,000 people. consisted of one infantry brigade consisting of two three-battalion regiments; two batteries of light artillery and 4 batteries of mountain artillery; machine gun detachment of 4 companies and a coastal artillery detachment

In March 1915, an aviation unit was created as part of the Cuban army.

On December 8, 1941, following the United States, Cuba declared war on Japan, and on December 11, 1941, it declared war on Germany and Italy. The Cuban armed forces did not directly participate in World War II, but participated in the supply of military-strategic raw materials to the United States and provided naval and air force bases at the disposal of American troops.

During the Second World War, from October 28, 1941 to September 1945, the Cuban armed forces were strengthened by supplies of weapons and military equipment from the United States under the Lend-Lease program (initially, supplies were planned in the amount of $3.7 million, but in fact The Lend-Lease program transferred military property worth a total of $6.2 million), the cost of which was to be repaid by 1947 with supplies of goods and raw materials.

In 1942, a law on conscription was adopted, in accordance with which a mixed principle of recruiting the armed forces was established (on a voluntary basis and by conscription). In addition, a civil defense service was created and two training camps were built to train soldiers (for 4 thousand military personnel each)

In 1947, the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance was signed in Rio de Janeiro, to which Cuba acceded.

As of 1952, the number of Cuban armed forces was 45 thousand people, the Air Force was armed with more than 100 obsolete American-made aircraft, the naval forces consisted of 37 ships (including 3 frigates, 2 gunboats, 2 submarines, as well as smaller ships and boats).

In March 1952, a “mutual security treaty” was signed between the United States and Cuba ( Mutual Defense Assistance Act), according to which an American military mission arrived on the island. Subsequently, in accordance with the agreement, the government army of F. Batista received military uniforms, small arms, ammunition, heavy weapons and armored vehicles from the United States.

In April 1957, the first helicopters were purchased from the UK for the Air Force - two Westland Whirlwinds.

On March 14, 1958, the United States announced the introduction of an arms embargo on Cuba, but in practice this ban was not observed: some weapons came from the United States through third countries and from the Guantanamo Bay military base, and in November-December 1958, weapons were supplied directly from the United States to planes of the Cuban Air Force (an employee of the Cuban military attache in the United States, Sergeant Angel Saavedra, managed to photograph the loading process and transmit photographs and documents about the supply of weapons to the rebel leadership, their publication caused a public outcry in the United States).

In addition to American military assistance, in the 1950s, large quantities of weapons for the Cuban army were received from Great Britain (in November 1958 - 17 Sea Fury fighters and 15 A-34 Comet tanks), Denmark (ammunition), Italy ( December 20, 1958 - 5 thousand M1 Garand rifles and ammunition), Dominican Republic (small arms and ammunition) and Nicaragua (in 1956 - 40 T-17E1 armored cars). A number of FN FAL automatic rifles were purchased from Belgium.

The armed forces of F. Batista's government included three branches of the military (army, air force and navy). Between 1952 and 1958, their total number increased by 112%, to 70 thousand people. At the beginning of 1958, to address issues of strategic planning, increase efficiency and coordinate the actions of various branches of the military, a high military command body, the Joint General Staff, was created, headed by General Francisco Tabernilla Dols.

As of October 1958, the Cuban army had the following military equipment:

• aircraft: 8 T-33 jet trainers; 15 B-26 bombers; 15 F-47D Thunderbolt fighters; two De Havilland L-20 "Beaver" aircraft; 8 pcs. T-6 "Texan"; 8 AT-6C “Harvard” aircraft; 10 C-47 transport aircraft; one Douglas C-53; 5 pieces. light Piper PA-18; 5 pieces. Piper PA-20 "Pacer"; 4 things. Piper PA-22 "Tri-Pacer" and one Piper PA-23 "Apache".
• helicopters: six helicopters of various types;
• tanks: 7 M4A1 Sherman medium tanks (received in February 1957 from the USA); 18 M3A1 Stuart light tanks and 5 A-34 Comet tanks.
• armored vehicles: 10 M6 Staghound armored vehicles; 20 M-8 armored vehicles; 24 M3 White armored vehicles; 20 GM T-17 light armored vehicles.
• special vehicles and engineering equipment: 15 tractors and tractors; 1 crane; 1 fire truck and 18 ambulances.
• cars: 245 trucks; 26 buses; 413 cars and jeeps, 157 motorcycles.

At the end of 1958, F. Batista purchased from an American company “ Interarmco" 100 pieces. AR-10 assault rifles, they were delivered to the port of Havana, but were no longer at the disposal of the Cuban army, as they were captured by the rebels.

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (since 1959)

The creation of the revolutionary Rebel Army began in December 1956, when a group of Cubans led by F. Castro landed from the Granma yacht in the province of Oriente and began an armed struggle against the Batista government. In 1959, the creation of milicianos units began. In September 1960, committees for the defense of the revolution were created.

However, in Italy they managed to purchase six 120-mm howitzers and a batch of shells for them.

In addition, during this period, the Cuban government forces received a certain amount of captured weapons supplied from abroad to militants of counter-revolutionary groups.

The supply of military products and the provision of technical assistance from the USSR began in 1960 and continued until 1990.

In 1962, a Soviet training center was opened in Cuba, where the training of Cuban military personnel began. In 1962, the “Combat Manual of the Infantry” was introduced, and in February 1963 - the “Combat Manual”, developed under the leadership of Soviet military specialists, taking into account the experience of training the armed forces of the USSR and socialist states. The publication of periodicals for military personnel began: "El oficial", "Verde olivo" and "Trabajo politico"

On March 23, 1963, in the port of Matantas, Cuban troops destroyed a group of saboteurs (55 people) who attempted to land in the port.

In 1969, the Cuban armed forces became a member of the SCDA.

On September 23, 1970, the Border Guard Troops (TGF, Tropas Guardafronteras) .

In October 1972, another group of Cuban emigrants, the “gusanos,” tried to land on the coast of Cuba in the Baracoa region, but its participants were disarmed and captured by soldiers of the Cuban army.

By the mid-1970s, Cuba's armed forces had become the most combat-ready in Latin America.

In 1980, Cuba concluded a bilateral treaty of friendship, cooperation and military assistance with the GDR, and in 1982 a bilateral treaty of friendship, cooperation and military assistance with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

On March 20, 1981, military training schools were established in the provinces of Cuba ( Escuelas Provinciales de Preparación para la Defensa, EPPD) .

In addition, in the 1980s, Cuba received a large shipment of Kalashnikov assault rifles from the DPRK.

In the early 1990s. the number of armed forces was reduced, a significant part of the equipment was mothballed. The country's economic problems forced the army to look for new ways to finance itself. In a short time, a significant number of military farms were created on the island to produce food for the troops. In addition, military personnel were involved in other forms of economic activity (repair and construction, reforestation, etc. work).

In the period after December 1998, Cuban-Venezuelan cooperation, including military cooperation, began to develop more intensively. A Cuban military mission has arrived in Venezuela and is located in Fort Tiuna (near Caracas).

In 2000, Cuba signed an agreement to expand military cooperation with China.

In 2001-2002 The Union de la Industria Militar weapons company developed the 7.62 mm Alejandro sniper repeating rifle for the Cuban army.

In 1998, Cuba began a program to modernize armored vehicles, during which by 2006 a number of independent projects to modernize tanks, armored personnel carriers, air defense systems and other Soviet-made equipment were completed. The modernization of equipment is carried out at Cuban enterprises and is combined with major overhauls, which makes it possible to extend the service life of tanks and armored personnel carriers by 10-15 years. In 2000-2014, the troops received:

• 300-350 modernized tanks (T-55 and T-62 delivered in Soviet times, modernized to the level of T-55M and T-62M) [ ]
• mobile launchers for S-75 and S-125 anti-aircraft missile systems on the T-55 tank chassis [ ]
• self-propelled guns T-34-122 (122 mm D-30 howitzer on a T-34 tank chassis) and T-34-130 (130 mm M-46 gun on a T-34 tank chassis) [ ]
• artillery barrel systems of 122 and 130 mm caliber on the KrAZ-255B truck chassis [ ]
• modernized BTR-60 armored personnel carriers equipped with anti-aircraft rapid-fire installations or tank guns in armored turrets
• self-propelled mortars BRDM-2-120 (BRDM-2 combat reconnaissance vehicle equipped with a 120-mm regimental mortar of the 1955 model) [ ]
• BTR-60 armored personnel carriers, on which a turret from the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle is installed [ ] .

As of early 2005, Cuba had one of the most effective civil defense systems in Latin America.

In early August 2006, the Cuban government began a campaign to strengthen the country's defense capabilities, modernize the army and weapons.

In 2007, the Cubans developed the VLMA laser target designator for the AKM assault rifle.

In August 2008, after the visit to Cuba of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation N.P. Patrushev, a decision was made to restore Russian-Cuban ties. In September 2009, Cuban-Russian agreements were signed, according to which the training of Cuban military personnel in Russian military educational institutions began.

In September 2012, the Cuban Minister of Defense announced that an agreement had been reached on the development of Cuban-Chinese military cooperation.

Organizational structure

The Cuban Army includes the following types of armed forces:

• Ground troops:

• Revolutionary Military Fleet (MGR, Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria):

• Revolutionary Air and Anti-Air Force (DAAFAR, Defensa Anti-Aérea Y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria):

• Territorial police units (MTT, Milicias de Tropas Territoriales);
• Working Youth Army (EJT, Ejército Juvenil del Trabajo);
• Border Guard (TGF, Tropas Guardafronteras) - subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The army is recruited on the basis of the law on universal conscription (introduced in 1963), the conscription age is 17 years, the period of active military service is 3 years. Women who have special training can do military service in the armed forces on a voluntary basis in peacetime (and can be mobilized in wartime). Command personnel are trained at military schools, the Military Technical Institute and the Naval Academy.

Current state

The Cuban Army regularly conducts command post and combined arms military exercises:

As of 2011, the total population of Cuba was 11.204 million people, the mobilization resource was 6.1 million people. (including 3.8 million fit for military service). The total number of armed forces is 49 thousand people, the reserve is 39 thousand, another 39 thousand serve in other paramilitary forces and 50 thousand in the civil defense forces

Professional holidays

• "Day Milisianos" (introduced in April 1961);
• April 17 - Cuban Air Force and Air Defense Day (introduced in 1961);
• April 18 - Tankman's Day (introduced in 1961);
• April 19 - Victory Day in the Battle of Playa Giron (since 1961);
• December 2 is the Day of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba.

Additional Information

Notes

1. International Institute for Strategic Studies: The Military Balance 2015, p. 392
2. Military Encyclopedia / ed. regiment. V. F. Novitsky and others, vol. 14 - St. Petersburg: Type. T-va I. D. Sytin, 1914
3. Vladimir Ilyin. Cuban Air Force // Aviation and Cosmonautics magazine, No. 2, February 2015. pp. 30-39
4. The First World War, 1914-1918 // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. / ed. A. M. Prokhorova. 3rd ed. T.19. M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1975. p.340-352
5. Cuba // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. / ed. A. M. Prokhorova. 3rd ed. T.13. M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1973. p.531-532
6. I. I. Yanchuk. US Policy in Latin America, 1939-1945. M., “Science”, 1975. p.135-136
7. E. A. Grinevich. Pages of Cuban history, 1939-1952. M., “International Relations”, 1964. p.167
8. M. B. Baryatinsky. Tanks of World War II. Part II. Allies. M., Collection, Yauza, EKSMO. 2000
9. M. B. Baryatinsky. Light tanks of the Second World War. M., “Collection” - “Yauza”, 2007. p.98
10. The World History. / ed., rep. ed. V.V. Kurasov. volume X. M., “Thought”, 1965. p.580
11. Cuba // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. / ed. coll., ch. ed. B. A. Vvedensky. 2nd ed. T.23. M., State scientific publishing house "Big Soviet Encyclopedia", 1953. p.578-585
12. V. V. Listov, V. G. Zhukov. Secret war against revolutionary Cuba. M., Politizdat, 1966. pp. 34-35,38
13. Ramiro J. Abreu. Cuba: the eve of revolution. M., “Progress”, 1987. p.115
14. Ramiro J. Abreu. Cuba: the eve of revolution. M., “Progress”, 1987. p.234
15. Ramiro J. Abreu. Cuba: the eve of revolution. M., “Progress”, 1987. pp.67-68
16. Ramiro J. Abreu. Cuba: the eve of revolution. M., “Progress”, 1987. p.271-272
17. Major Sam Pikula. The ArmaLite AR-10. Regnum Fund Press, 1998. pp. 72-73
18. "K-22" - Battle cruiser / [under general. ed. N. V. Ogarkova]. - M.: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1979. - P. 499-501. - (Soviet Military Encyclopedia: [in 8 volumes]; 1976-1980, vol. 4).
19. S. A. Gonionsky. Essays on the modern history of Latin American countries. M., “Enlightenment”, 1964. p.232
20. History of diplomacy (in 5 vols.). / ed. A. A. Gromyko and others. 2nd ed. volume V. book 1. M., Politizdat, 1974. p.608
21. V. V. Listov, V. G. Zhukov. Secret war against revolutionary Cuba. M., Politizdat, 1966. pp. 181-183
22. Statement of the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Cuba dated February 25, 1962 // Russia - Cuba, 1902-2002. Documents and materials. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba. M., “International Relations”, 2004. p.147-154

The first official uniform of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Republic of Cuba

K.S. Vasiliev

January 1, 1959 They joined the partisan detachments of “barbudos” (“bearded men”) in Havana. Dictator Batista fled the country, the two-year civil war ended with the victory of the people's democratic revolution.

But people's power had to be not only conquered, but also defended. On the basis of partisan detachments and units of the armed forces of the previous regime, the new government created the Revolutionary Armed Forces ( FAR, Fuerza A rmada Revolucionaria). The young army immediately had to engage in battle with emigrant counter-revolutionary formations, which were financed, armed and supported by the United States of America. Then came the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The republic first of all needed to provide the armed forces with weapons, military equipment, and train personnel. Perhaps that is why the Cuban leadership did not bother with the issue of uniform regulation until 1969. Only September 2, 1969 The Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Major Raul Castro, issued Order No. 87, which put into effect the Military Uniform Regulations FAR.

Why only major?

To understand the military rank system FAR keep in mind that the Spanish word “ Comandante ” has two main meanings in Russian. The first is “commander”. The second meaning is a military rank in Spanish-speaking countries, corresponding to the Russian (and Anglo-Saxon) rank of “major”. Therefore, in the Anglo-Saxon press, commanders of partisan detachments were often called majors.

Military ranks in FAR were introduced almost immediately. And it is not surprising that the highest rank was the title “with omandante " This title was given to the leaders of the revolution, with the exception of Fidel Castro, who was awarded the title of “Commander in Chief” (“ Comandante en Jefe").

The insignia of the junior command staff of the Ground Forces and the Revolutionary Air and Anti-Air Forces (DAAFAR, Defensa Anti-Aérea Y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria) were installed in the form of yellow stripes on both sleeves of the uniform according to the American model. Officers' rank insignia is located on the shoulder straps of all types of uniforms, with the exception of work overalls in technical troops (tank, engineering, etc.), where they were placed on the corners of the collar.

Regulations of September 2, 1969 with the Ground Forces and DAAFAR The following types of military uniforms were established:

Festive, which approximately corresponds to our ceremonial uniform. It was introduced only for officers, non-commissioned sergeants and women military personnel. For men, it consisted of an open jacket made of gabardine in olive green, which was worn with a white shirt and black tie, and the same trousers untucked. In fact, the color of the uniform matched our protective color.

The headdress for this uniform was a cap. The band was covered with a grosgrain colored grosgrain ribbon (actually somewhat lighter than the cap fabric). An emblem in the form of the state coat of arms, superimposed on military fittings, was attached to the band and crown. The buttons located on the sides of the band were fastened to: a Soviet-style gold-plated cord on the front, and a leather chin strap with buckles to adjust the length on the back.

Women were entitled to a jacket made of the same fabric and a skirt. The jacket was worn with a white turtleneck. Interestingly, female soldiers of the Ground Forces and DAAFAR There was no headdress required at all.

Garrison the uniform corresponding to our everyday off-duty uniform, and reserved for the same categories of military personnel, consisted of a shirt made of olive-green cotton fabric and the same trousers untucked. The headdress is a cap without emblems. Women with this uniform wore an untucked poplin blouse and a skirt. Both the shirt and blouse were worn with both long and short sleeves.

Service(everyday for the formation), which was worn by all military personnel, for men it consisted of the same items as the garrison one, but was worn with trousers tucked into high-top boots. Women with this form were required to wear trousers and a shirt, the same in cut and quality of fabric as for men, but the shirt was buttoned on the left (female) side, and the cut corresponded to the female figure. The trousers were worn untucked.

Combat The uniform differed from the service uniform in the mandatory wearing of a helmet and equipment, depending on the weapon assigned to the soldier.

The absence of a dress uniform is explained by the fact that at parades and parades, by order of the senior commander, either service or combat uniforms could be worn.

In addition, the regulations provided for several types of special forms. These included, for example, flight suits and overalls for servicing aviation and military equipment.

Sports the uniform included T-shirts, shorts and socks in olive green. It also included sports shoes.

Among the special uniforms there were even suits for cooks and waiters (foremen).

In the Revolutionary Navy ( MGR, Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria ) the same types of uniforms were established as in the Ground Forces. True, there were differences. Some types of uniforms had a seasonal division into winter, worn from November 16 to March 15, and summer, which was supposed to be worn from March 16 to November 15.

In particular, this applied to festive form. The winter festive uniform for men had the traditional look of a naval double-breasted jacket in dark blue, and the summer one repeated the cut of the Army service jacket, but was made of white wool blend fabric. The women's uniform was almost no different in cut from the land uniform, but women, military personnel MGR wore headdresses in the form of caps decorated with golden anchors.

Garrison form MGR was established in olive green color and differed from the land one only in the headdresses of men. They were given caps instead of caps. Women had golden anchors attached to the corners of their collars.

Particular attention should be paid to official sailors' uniforms.

For officers and non-commissioned sergeants, service uniforms and service summer uniforms were required. The service uniform was no different from the garrison uniform, and the service summer uniform consisted of white trousers and a white short-sleeved shirt and cap. The sailors were given service winter uniforms and service summer uniforms. Both of these uniforms had a traditional sailor look: a vest, a Dutchman's shirt with a sailor collar, and a peakless cap. On the band of the cap there was a black moire ribbon without free ends. On the ribbon there is a golden inscription in italics “Marina de Guerra"(Navy). Winter uniforms were dark blue, summer uniforms were white.

Combat The sailors' uniform was no different from the land uniform.

In addition to the above types of uniforms, sailors were provided with working uniform worn on ships. For sailors it consisted of an olive green T-shirt and shorts, for officers and long-term conscripts it consisted of shorts and a shirt with a belt.

Military ranks and insignia of junior command personnel were the same as in the Ground Forces, but they were worn at an angle downwards. On olive green uniforms they were embroidered with yellow thread, on dark blue uniforms they were embroidered with red thread, but on white uniforms they were embroidered with blue thread. Officers on all types of uniforms wore removable dark blue shoulder straps with two narrow braids sewn longitudinally. Between the braids were golden metal anchors and insignia.

In case of inclement weather, all military personnel were provided with additional uniform items. So the sailors were given a single-breasted pea coat in dark blue. Soldiers have a similar cut olive green jacket. Officers were entitled to a comfortable jacket with patch pockets and a secret clasp. In addition, military personnel were given raincoats, as well as Soviet raincoats and raincoats.

Service and combat uniforms were established for Civil Defense personnel (Defensa Civil). The service uniform was basically the same as the garrison uniform of the Ground Forces, with the exception that the shirt was not olive green, but light blue, and instead of a blouse, women were given a shirt of the same cut as that of men. The combat uniform was distinguished by the mandatory wearing of a helmet.

References:

1. Magazine "Verde olivo"

2.Reglamento de Vestuario de las FAR, 1969.

I thank Leonid Nikolaevich Tokar for the materials provided.