Cuban Air Force and Air Defense Forces

The beginning of the Cuban military aviation was laid in March 1915 , when the aviation corps (FAEC) was created in the army ^[1] .

In 1917, the first group of Cuban pilots was sent to the United States to study at the Kelly Field air center (San Antonio, USA), near Havana - the construction of the airfield began, and the first aircraft were received from the United States - four Curtiss-JN trainers -4D ^[1] .

In 1923, the first combat aircraft were bought for the Air Force in the United States: four Vought UO-2 reconnaissance aircraft and six DH.4B reconnaissance and bombers ^[1] .

In 1924, the total air force of Cuba was 18 officers and 98 lower ranks ^[1] .

In 1926, most of the airplanes were destroyed by a tropical hurricane ^[1] .

As a result of the reform of the air forces of 1933-1934, in 1934 the “naval aviation” was created ( Fuerza Aérea Naval , FAN) ^{[1] [2]}

In general, in the 1920s-1930s, the Air Force consisted of a small number of combat, training and transport aircraft manufactured in America.

After the outbreak of World War II, an increase in military spending on aviation began; in 1941, the National Aviation Academy was established ^[1]

In 1941-1945, the Cuban air force was strengthened by additional deliveries of aircraft from the United States (a total of 45 aircraft were received under the Lend-Lease program in 1942-1945) ^[1] .

In 1947, the air force of Cuba numbered 750 people and 55 aircraft ^[1] .

Since the signing of the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, the Cuban air force received American aircraft, ammunition, weapons and spare parts in accordance with the military cooperation agreement.

In 1952, when landing at an airfield in the military town of Colombia, the F-47 fighter crashed and burned (pilot Perez Piloto died) ^[3] .

At the end of 1952, a permanent US Air Force military mission was opened in Cuba; in early 1953, under the military assistance program, 12 Cuban pilots were sent to train US fighter pilots in the USA (their training was completed on August 31, 1954) ^[4] .

In 1954, when landing at an airfield in the military town of Colombia, a F-47 fighter crashed and burned in a heavy wind (pilot Alvarez Cortina was hospitalized in serious condition) ^[5] .

In 1955, the Cuban Air Force numbered 2,000 personnel. In the same year, the first jet aircraft entered service - four T-33A ^[1] (in total, eight T-33 were received from the United States under the military assistance program) ^[6] .

In 1955, naval aviation was included in the Air Force ^[1] .

Also, during 1955, two more fighters were lost: when taking off from the airfield, Colombia crashed and burned down the F-47 (pilot Alvaro Prendes was not injured) ^[7] , a little later during the military parade, another F-47 smoked and fell into the sea (pilot Lieutenant Singago died) ^[8] .

In April 1957, the first helicopters were purchased for the Air Force in the UK - two Westland Whirlwind ^[1]

As of October 1958, the Cuban army was armed with the following military equipment ^[9] :

• airplanes: 8 jet training aircraft T-33 ; 15 B-26 bombers; 15 F-47D Thunderbolt fighters ; two De Havilland L-20 Beaver aircraft; 8 pcs T-6 Texan ; 8 aircraft AT-6C "Harvard"; 10 transport aircraft C-47 ; 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.

Although the base of the air force fleet of F. Batista was made up of American-made planes, another 17 Hawker Sea Fury piston fighters were received in November 1958 from the UK (of which, as of January 1, 1959, 15 remained in service and switched in the composition of the revolutionary Air Force government of Castro) ^[10] .

After the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959 , the United States stopped military-technical cooperation with the new government, as a result of which during this period the Air Force experienced an acute shortage of trained personnel (pilots and aircraft technicians, as part of the officers and technical specialists left the country), equipment and spare parts.

At the beginning of the operation, there were only 24 operational combat aircraft in the Cuban Air Force in the Bay of Pigs (15 B-26 bombers, 6 Sea Fury piston fighters and 3 T-33 jet training aircraft).

• At about 3 a.m. on April 15, 1961, one of the T-33 aircraft, which was piloted by Lieutenant Acosta ( Orestes Acosta ) during a reconnaissance flight, crashed into the sea in the Baracoa region (the pilot died, he was posthumously awarded the rank of captain) ^[11] .
• On the morning of April 15, 1961, several airplanes and civilian aircraft were destroyed or damaged as a result of the bombing of three Cuban airfields by so-called B-26B bombers . "air force of the Cuban expeditionary force" of the Cuban emigrants - " gusanos ".

On April 17-19, 1961, the Cuban Air Force took an active part in repelling the invasion of emigrant paramilitary forces prepared by the American government and the US CIA. During the fighting in the Gulf of Pigs , Cuban Air Force pilots conducted air reconnaissance, carried out target designation for artillery and coordinated the actions of ground forces, shot down six B-26 bombers ^[12] , sank and seriously damaged four Liberty-type transport ships , launched assault and bomb attacks on enemy troop positions .

• during the hostilities of the Cuban Air Force lost several aircraft.

On April 16, 1961, during the battles in the Gulf of Pigs , F. Castro first made a statement about the socialist character of the Cuban revolution, later Cuba joined the socialist camp and began to rearm its air forces with the help of the USSR .

In May 1961, 24 “previously used” MiG-15bis fighters were received from the USSR, later MiG-15Rbis scouts and MiG-15UTI training aircraft were received ^[1] .

On June 24, 1961, the Cuban pilot Chiron Enrique Carreras completed the first independent flight on a MiG-15bis fighter jet ^[1] .

In November 1961, eight MiG-19s were received (however, already in 1966 they were all withdrawn from service) ^[1] .

In March 1962, the first fighter squadron on the MiG-15bis was formed as part of the Cuban Air Force; in May 1962, the second fighter squadron on the MiG-15bis ^[1] .

In July 1962, 40 MiG-21- F-13 fighters arrived from Cuba from the 32nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the USSR Air Force (which were transferred to the Cuban side in April 1963).

In 1964, the replacement of the MiG-15bis with the MiG-17 and MiG-17F fighters of Soviet and Czechoslovak production (which remained in service until the 1980s) began ^[1] .

In September 1978, the MiG-23 began to arrive in Cuba. In total, in 1978-1981, 40 MiG-23BN, 12 MiG-23MF, 54 MiG-23ML and 4 MiG-23UB were received. ^[one]

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Cuban Air Force participated in hostilities in Ethiopia and Angola .

DAAFAR's tasks include protecting Cuban airspace, providing tactical and transport support for the Revolutionary Army and Navy, and, if necessary, fulfilling the tasks of servicing the national economy. The Air Force and Air Defense include 2 mixed fighter-bomber formations, one transport and one transport for servicing the leadership. As of 2008, Cuban airspace is divided into two districts: western and eastern; the corresponding headquarters are located in the cities of San Antonio de los Baños and Holguin.
The western district is covered by the 2nd Air Force and Air Defense Brigade, which includes the 1779th compound, which has a mixed fighter air squadron of the 3 remaining in service of the MiG-29 and up to 10 MiG-23ML. To solve the auxiliary tasks of air defense, for example, to intercept slow low-flying targets, three to four L-39Cs are used, in a normal situation they are used as educational ones. To provide basic training for pilots, training Zlin Z-142s are used.
The eastern district is covered by the Cuartel Moncada Guard Brigade. It also includes the 1779th compound in Holguin. Air defense tasks in the district are solved by several MiG-21 fighters. The district has the 3405th special transport connection, the tasks of which include servicing the state leadership and the 3688th transport connection, both planes and helicopters operate from Playa Baracoa ^[13] .

The following air bases are used by the Cuban Air Force and Air Defense Forces ^[14] (as of 2006):

Holguin / Base Area Holguin / Frank Pais AP (ICAO code: MUHG)

Runway: Rwy 05/23, Runway size: 3238 m (10624 ft) x 45 m (148 ft), Elevation: 110 m (361 ft).

La Habana / Base Area Playa Baracoa (ICAO code: MUPB)

Runway: Rwy 02/20, Runway size: 2305 m (7563 ft) x 45 m (148 ft), Elevation: 31 m (102 ft)

Base Area San Antonio de los Baños (ICAO code: MUSA)

Runway: Rwy 01/19, Runway size: 2400 m (7873 ft) x 46 m (150 ft), Elevation: 50 m (164 ft).

Runway: Rwy 05/23, Runway size: 3596 m (11799 ft) x 46 m (150 ft), Elevation: 50 m (164 ft).

Runway: Rwy 12/30, Runway size: 2482 m (8144 ft) x 46 m (150 ft), Elevation: 50 m (164 ft).

Regarding the combat personnel of the Air Force and Air Defense of Cuba, data are available for 2006 ^[15] :

Zona Area Oeste: 2 Brigada "Playa Girón"

Zona Area Oriente: 3 Brigada "Cuartel Moncada"

By the 1990s, the Cuban Air Force was rated as the best in Latin America, both in terms of equipment and level of training. After the cessation of active military cooperation with the USSR and Russia in the 1990s, Cuban aviation experienced significant difficulties. According to Western data, only two fighter squadrons are ready for war ^[16] , about 20 combat aircraft were in flight condition for 2003-2004, and the annual raid by pilots in the same period did not exceed 50 hours ^[17] .

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, as of 2007, the number of DAAFAR personnel is estimated at 8 thousand people. In flight condition, there are 31 combat aircraft, 12 transport aircraft, a number of helicopters and training aircraft, in addition, it is indicated that another 179 aircraft were in storage.

According to the British website aeroflight.co.uk ^{[18], the} state of the Cuban Air Force fleet in 2006 was as follows:

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  Cuban Air Force Badge

Identity Evolution

• History of the Cuban Air Force. Creature
• Cuban Air Force on Scramble.nl
• Cuban Air Force Composition Data