| Revolutionary Anti-Air Defence and Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Defensa Anti-Aérea y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria | |
 Cuban Armed Forces emblem | |
| Founded | 1959; 67 years ago (1959) |
| Country |  Cuba |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial defence Aerial warfare |
| Size | 8,000 personnel |
| Part of | Revolutionary Armed Forces |
| Nickname | DAAFAR |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major General Pedro Mendiondo Gómez[1][2] |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Fin flash | .svg) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | MiG-21,MiG-23,MiG-29 |
| Attack helicopter | Mil Mi-24 |
| Trainer | Aero L-39 |
| Transport | An-24,Mil Mi-8,Mil Mi-17 |
TheCuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (Spanish:Defensa Anti-Aérea y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria) commonly abbreviated toDAAFAR in both Spanish and English, is theair force ofCuba.
TheCuerpo de Aviación del Ejército de Cuba (CAEC) (in English, Cuban Army Aviation Corps) was formed on 5 July 1913 with oneCurtiss F flying boat. The1.Escuadrón was formed in 18 May 1919 with nineCurtiss JN-4D Jenny trainers. In 18 April 1932 CAEC aircraft bombed US-backed rebel forces opposingGerardo Machado in the town ofGibara. Those forces subsequently abandoned the town.
In 1934 responsibility for naval aviation was split from the CAEC, with the creation of theAviación Naval.
In 1939, theEscuadrón de Persecución (Pursuit Squadron) operatedVought O2U Corsair bombers,Curtiss Hawk II fighters, andVought Kingfisher floatplanes fromCampo Brihuegas in Havana. TheEscuadrón de Observación y Bombardeo (Observation and bombing Squadron) operated theWaco S3HD andLockheed Sirius from the same location.TheEscuela de Aviación Militar (Military Aviation School) operated aCurtiss-Wright CW-19 from theCampo de Columbia, that was also in Havana.
The CAEC was reorganized as theFuerza Aérea del Ejército de Cuba (FAEC) (Cuban Army Air Force), recombining army and naval operations, on 23 April 1952 followingFulgencio Batista US-backedcoup d'état on 10 March 1952. The US provided military training, transport and fighter aircraft similar to those operated by theUS military.
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When theCuban Revolution overthrew the government ofFulgencio Batista at the end of 1958, the new government led byFidel Castro inherited most of the aircraft and equipment of the old regime, which was supplemented by the aircraft of the revolutionaries ownFuerza Aérea Rebelde,[a] to form the newFuerza Aérea Revolucionaria (FAR). Arrests of many of the personnel (including 40 pilots) of the old air force meant that the FAR was short of manpower to operate its aircraft, while lack of spare parts further reduced operational efficiency and a US-inspired arms embargo restricted efforts to acquire replacement aircraft.[4]
In April 1961, CIA-backedCuban exiles attempted an invasion of Cuba with the aim of overthrowing Castro's government. The invasion was preceded on 17 April by air attacks on Cuban airfields in an attempt to destroy the FAR prior to the invasion, with several FAR aircraft being destroyed.[5] The remaining operational aircraft were deployed against the Cuban exiles landings on 19 April, sinking one transport, theRio Escondido and badly damaging another, theHouston, which was beached, resulting in the loss of most of the invaders' supplies.[6]
The Revolution and theCuban Missile Crisis caused American aircraft to become worn out and fall into disuse, but the Soviet Union came to the rescue and sent the first jet fighters, the MiG-15bis, MiG-15R and MiG-15UTI, as well as transport aircraft such as the An-2 and Il-14.
In 1969, the inadequacy of the radar coverage to the south of the United States were dramatically illustrated when aCuban Air ForceMiG-17 went undetected before it landed atHomestead Air Force Base, Florida[7] and two years later, anAntonov An-24 similarly arrived unannounced atNew Orleans International Airport.[7]
In the 1980s, Cuba with the help of theSoviet Union was able to project power abroad, using its air force, especially in Africa. During that time Cuba sent jet fighters and transports for deployment in conflict zones such as Angola and Ethiopia.
In the late 1980s, Cuba implemented a plan to acquire 45 MiG-29 Fulcrum, including trainer versions, from the Soviet Union. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, this plan came to an end with only twelve MiG-29 (9.12B) fighter aircraft and two MiG-29UB (9.51) trainer aircraft being delivered.[8]
In 1990, Cuba's Air Force was the best equipped in Latin America. During this time, the 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)[9] of these planes are still in service spread out among the thirteen military airbases on the island.
In 1996, fighters from the DAAFARshot down two Cessna aircraft based in Florida which were accused of dropping leaflets into Cuban airspace. The Air Force was criticized for not giving the pilots of the aircraft options other than being shot down. One aircraft escaped.[10]
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."[11]
By 2007 theInternational Institute for Strategic Studies assessed the force as 8,000 strong with 41 combat capable aircraft and a further 189 stored. DAAFAR is divided into three territorial commands known as air zones, in each of which there is a Brigade with several independent Regiments and Squadrons. Each regiment has about 30 aircraft, and squadrons can vary in number, but are usually 12-14 aircraft. DAAFAR's air force, which it maintained until the 1980s, has now declined and its fighting power is now very limited. The fighter aircraft confirmed to be in operation are mainly the MiG-29 and MiG-21, and although the country once operated more than 50 MiG-23s, 3 of which were confirmed to be operational in 2011, they are not currently in operation.It is also assessed to have 12 operational transport and training aircraft, including the L-39C and helicopters, mainly Mil Mi-8, Mil Mi-17 and Mil Mi-24 Hind. Raul Castro ordered in 2010 that allMiG-29 pilots undergo full training, and they now fly between 200 and 250 hours per year, in addition to actual dogfight training and exercises. Due to this limited training time, MiG-21 units spend more time in simulators and maintain their flying skills in the Air Force's civilian brandAerogaviota. Up to 20MiG-23 units, said to exist, also undergo this type of training, but it has not been revealed whether any of the aircraft are already operational, if a unit exists, or how many remain.
AtSan Antonio de los Baños military air field, south west of Havana, several aircraft are visible using Google Earth.[12]
Source:[14]
The 2nd Guards "Playa Girón" Aviation Brigade, based in San Antonio de los Baños, is an elite unit of the DAAFAR. The San Antonio de los Baños air base was built at the end ofWorld War II. In 1976, the unit stationed that received the current name of the Playa Girón Guards Aviation Brigade. In April 1961, was responsible for the defense of Cuba during theBay of Pigs Invasion.[15] Among its notable members was Cuban cosmonautArnaldo Tamayo Méndez. It is a recipient of the Antonio Maceo Order, which was awarded to it in 2014 on its 55th anniversary.[16] In October 2019, the regiment called for the immediate release of former Brazilian President and leader of the Workers Party, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.[17]
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Due the aircraft age, much equipment is unserviceable, while a large portion of the fleet is reportedly in storage.[18]
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||||||
| MiG-29 | Soviet Union | Multirole | 5[19] | Includes 3 MiG-29UB trainers. All are possibly non-operational.[19] | ||
| MiG-21 | Soviet Union | Interceptor | Bis/UM[19] | 11[20] | ||
| Reconnaissance | ||||||
| Antonov An-30 | Soviet Union | Reconnaissance | 1[19] | Possibly non-operational.[19] | ||
| Transport | ||||||
| Antonov An-24 | Soviet Union | Transport | 1[19] | Operated byAerogaviota.[19] | ||
| Antonov An-26 | Soviet Union | Transport | 3[19] | Operated by Aerogaviota.[19] | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76 | Soviet Union | Transport | 2[19] | |||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Mil Mi-8 | Soviet Union | Utility | P | 2[19] | ||
| Mil Mi-17 | Soviet Union | Utility | 7[19] | 12 in storage.[19] | ||
| Mil Mi-24 | Russia | Attack | Mi-35 | 4[20] | 8 in storage. Possibly non-operational.[19] | |
| Trainer aircraft | ||||||
| Aero L-39 | Czechoslovakia | Jet trainer | C[21] | 3[20] | ||
| Zlín Z 42 | Czechoslovakia | Trainer | 142C | [19] | ||
Prior to the Cuban Revolution, aircraft operated by the Air Force included:Vought O2U Corsair,Airco DH.4B,Curtiss JN-4D,Waco D-7,Bellanca Aircruiser,Howard Aircraft Corporation transports,Boeing-Stearman A73,Curtiss-Wright 19R-2,Grumman G-21 Goose,Aeronca L-3, Boeing-Stearman PT-13, Boeing-Stearman PT-17,North American T-6,North American P-51D Mustang,North American B-25J Mitchell,Douglas C-47,Lockheed T-33A,Hawker Sea Fury,de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver fixed-wing aircraft, andWestland Whirlwind (S-55) helicopters.[22]
Post-Cuban Revolution aircraft that was previously operated includes:MiG-15bis/R/UTI,MiG-17AS/F,MiG-19P,MiG-23MF/BN/ML/US/UM,Antonov An-2,An-32,Ilyushin Il-14,Il-28,Il-62,Yakovlev Yak-40,Zlin 226 fixed-wing aircraft plusMil Mi-1,Mi-4A andMi-14 helicopters.[23][21]