Cuba is a small country in the Americas. Many people first heard the name of this country either because of Cuban cigars or the Cuban Missile Crisis. Cuba is the only socialist country in the Americas, with a land area of ​​nearly 110,000 square kilometers, a population of 11.32 million in 2022, a total GDP of US$110 billion in 2022, and a military expenditure of US$3 billion.

The Cuban government army is called the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. The total strength of the army is 60,000, which is divided into the army, navy and air force. The army has 45,000 troops, the Navy has 5,000, and the Air Force has 10,000. Cuba also has a reserve force of 50,000 and a paramilitary force of 1.6 million.

Army

The total strength of the Cuban Army is 45,000, with 3 military regions, and the entire army is based on brigades. There are 5 armored brigades, 9 mechanized infantry brigades, 14 reserve brigades, 1 air defense brigade, etc.

The main armament of the Cuban Army is equipped with 1,230 tanks, including 50 PT-76 tanks, 800 T-54/55 tanks, and 380 T-62 main battle tanks. There are more than 1,500 infantry fighting vehicles, 150 towed artillery pieces, 100 self-propelled artillery pieces, and 20 multiple rocket launchers. The Cuban army is also equipped with 300 old Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles.

T-54/55 tank

The T-54/55 tank is the first-generation main battle tank developed by the Soviet Union. The prototype came out in March 1945 before the end of World War II, and mass production began in 1947. The T-54/55 tank was the armored main force of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries and was exported to many countries. T-54/55 tanks participated in almost all armed conflicts in the second half of the 20th century.

The T-54/55 series tanks are the most produced ever, with a total production of 100,000. To this day, more than 50 countries are still using T-54/55 and its improved models.

The T-55 main battle tank is 6.45 meters long, 3.37 meters wide, and 2.4 meters high, with a combat weight of 39.7 tons and a crew of 4. It uses one D-10 100mm rifled gun, two 7.62mm SGMT machine guns, and one V-55 12-cylinder diesel engine with a maximum power of 433Kw, a maximum speed of 55 kilometers per hour, and a maximum stroke of 600 kilometers.

In the 1950s, the T-55 tank had advantages over its main western counterparts, the American M48 Patton tank and the British Centurion tank, with lighter weight, superior firepower, protection and reliability.

T-62 Main Battle Tank

The T-62 main battle tank is the second-generation main battle tank developed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was mass-produced and equipped with troops in 1961. It first appeared in the Red Square military parade in 1965. A total of about 20,000 vehicles were produced. In addition to being used by the Soviet Army, it is also exported to 27 countries in the world.

The T-62 main battle tank boasts a total length of 9.75 meters, with a body length of 6.247 meters. It spans a vehicle width of 3.27 meters and stands at a vehicle height of 2.207 meters. With a combat weight totaling 37.5 tons, the tank is crewed by a team of 4 individuals.

Its primary armaments consist of a 2A20 115 mm smoothbore tank gun and a stockpile of 40 rounds. Additionally, it is equipped with a TM-485 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, supplied with 2,500 rounds, and a 12.7 mm caliber machine gun with an ammunition capacity of 500 rounds. Powering this formidable machine is a 580-horsepower 4-stroke 12V water-cooled diesel engine designated as the B-55-5. The T-62 can achieve a top speed of 50 km/h and cover a maximum distance of 650 km on a single fueling.

Navy

The total strength of the Cuban Navy is 5,000, and there is also a 550-member Marine Corps to defend the coastline. The Cuban navy is small in scale, especially under the long-term blockade by the United States. The scope of activities of the Cuban navy is very small, and they are basically old ships with small tonnage.

The main equipment of the Cuban Navy includes 2 full-row 3200-ton Damjirio-class frigates, 1 submarine, 6 Osa II missile boats equipped with Styx missiles, and more than 20 patrol boats.

Air Force

The Cuban Air Force has a total strength of 10,000 people, is organized into 6 squadrons, and has over 100 fighter planes. Although most of them are old, they are considered powerful in Latin America. The main force of the Cuban Air Force is equipped with 3 MiG-29 fighters, 24 MiG-23 fighters, and 11 MiG-21 fighters. 4 are Mi-24 armed helicopters.

MiG 29 fighter

The MiG-29 fighter is a twin-engine medium fighter developed and produced by the Mikoyan Design Bureau. It adopts a wing-body fusion design and is a light front-line fighter of the Soviet Union. The MiG-29 fighter jet was developed in 1971, made its first flight in 1977, and entered service in 1983. There are more than 20 improved models, one of which is the MiG-29K, which is a carrier-based aircraft. More than 30 countries have equipped this aircraft, with an output of more than 1,600.

The MiG-29 fighter is 17.37 meters long, has a wingspan of 11.4 meters, is 4.73 meters high, has a maximum take-off weight of 20 tons, uses 2 RD-33 afterburning turbofan engines, has a maximum flight speed of Mach 2.3, a maximum range of 2100 kilometers, and a maximum bomb load The quantity is 4.5 tons.

The improved MiG-35 fighter jet of the MiG-29 entered service in 2017. Compared with the MiG-29, it has been greatly improved, and various indicators have increased significantly. The MiG-35 fighter is 17.37 meters long, has a wingspan of 12 meters, is 4.73 meters high, has a maximum take-off weight of 29.7 tons, uses 2 RD-33MK afterburning turbofan engines, has a maximum flight speed of Mach 2.25, a maximum range of 3100 kilometers, and a maximum bomb load The quantity is 6.5 tons.

MiG-23 fighter

The Soviet Mikoyan-Grevich Design Bureau developed the MiG 23 fighter jet in the early 1960s. It is a second-generation fighter with a single-seat variable-sweep wing aerodynamic layout. It is the last one personally designed by the designer Mikoyan. The project, which first flew in 1967 and entered service in 1970, was the main equipment of the Soviet Homeland Air Defense Force in the 1970s and 1980s and was exported to many countries, with a total output of more than 3,000.

The MiG-23 fighter jet is 15.88 meters long, has a wingspan of 13.97 meters, a full sweep of 7.78 meters, a height of 4.82 meters, an empty weight of 9,595 kilograms, and a maximum take-off weight of 18,030 kilograms. The engine uses an R-35-300 after-burning turbojet engine with a maximum flight speed of Mach 2.35, a practical ceiling of 18,300 meters, and a maximum range of 2,900 kilometers.

The MiG 23 fighter has a 23mm GSh-23 double-barreled cannon with 200 rounds of ammunition; there are 5 external pylons, one under the left and right wings, one under the left and right air inlets, and one under the center of the fuselage. There is 1, with a bomb load of 2000 kg.

The MiG-23 fighter’s variable-sweep wing technology is immature and complex to control. In the final design, the main wing sweep angle of the MiG-23 fighter jet can be switched between 16/45/72 degrees to meet the requirements for the aerodynamic layout of the aircraft under different conditions, but it does not have the stepless sweep angle of similar Western aircraft. Angle adjustment ability.

MiG-21 fighter

The MiG-21 fighter is a second-generation supersonic jet fighter developed by the Soviet Mikoyan Design Bureau. It adopts a single-seat delta-wing aerodynamic layout and is characterized by its lightness, flexibility, fast climb, and good transonic and supersonic maneuverability. The MiG-21 fighter began to be developed in 1953, first flew in 1955, and entered service in 1958. There are many improved and imitated models, with a total of more than 10,000 produced. It is the most produced and equipped jet fighter in the 20th century.

The MiG-21 fighter jet is 15.4 meters long, has a wingspan of 7.15 meters, is 4.13 meters high, and has a maximum take-off weight of 9.6 tons. The engine uses a P-13 afterburning turbojet engine with a maximum flight speed of Mach 2.2, a practical ceiling of 18,700 meters, a maximum range of 1,300 kilometers, a maximum bomb load of 1 ton, and a Gsh-23 23mm double-barreled cannon. , prepare 200 rounds of ammunition.

The avionics equipment of the MiG 21 fighter is too simple, the weapon loading capacity is too small, and the flight range is too short. The continuous firepower output and combat distance are too far behind the opponent, so the combat capability is very limited. The advantage lies in its low price, fast speed, strong maneuverability, low maintenance requirements, and many countries and quantities equipped worldwide. It is simply the AK47 in the fighter world.

Mi 24 armed helicopter

The Mi-24 armed helicopter is a twin-engine, single-rotor heavy-duty armed helicopter developed by the Soviet Miri Design Bureau in 1967. It is the first dedicated armed helicopter in the Soviet Union. It first flew in 1969 and entered service in 1973. The biggest feature of the Mi-24 gunship is that it has a crew compartment, which can carry 10 soldiers to accompany it in combat.

The Mi-24 armed helicopter has various models, such as A, B, C, D, E and F, and the later improved model is also named the Mi-35 armed helicopter. The aircraft is low in cost, with a total output of more than 2,000, exported to more than 30 countries and regions, and more than 1,000 are still in service today.

The Mi-24 armed helicopter is 18.8 meters long, has a rotor diameter of 17.10 meters, a tail rotor diameter of 3.90 meters, a short wing span of 6.65 meters, a height of 6.5 meters, an empty weight of 8 tons, and a maximum take-off weight of 12 tons. The engine uses two TV3-117 turboshaft engines, each with 2230 horsepower, a maximum speed of 335 km/h, and a maximum range of 1000 km. There are 4-6 external pylons on the short wings of the Mi-24 armed helicopter and under the short board of the fuselage, with a bomb load of 2860 kg and a GSH-30-2 cannon installed under the nose.