Cuban national security

The State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs issued its Background Notes for Cuba in late 2011.

An assessment on Cuba’s national security follows:

With the loss of Soviet-era subsidies in the early 1990s, Cuba’s armed forces have shrunk considerably, both in terms of numbers and assets. Combined active duty troop strength for all three services is estimated at 50,000 to 55,000 personnel (compared to some 235,000 on active duty 10 years ago) and much of Cuba’s weaponry appears to be in storage. Cuba’s air force, once considered among the best equipped in Latin America, no longer merits that distinction, though it still possesses advanced aircraft and weapons systems; the navy has become primarily a coastal defense force with no blue water capability. The Cuban army is still one of the region’s more formidable, but it also is much reduced and no longer has the considerable resources necessary to project power abroad. Exchanges and visits with foreign military allies like Russia, China, and Venezuela have become common over the past few years.

The military plays a dominant role in the economy, particularly in tourism, civil aviation, foreign trade, and retail operations. Cuba’s National Civil Defense, responsible for preparing for and responding to natural disasters and oil spills, is also under the Ministry of Armed Forces. The country’s two paramilitary organizations, the Territorial Militia Troops and the Youth Labor Army, have a reduced training capability. Cuba also adopted a “war of the people” strategy that highlights the defensive nature of its capabilities. In this respect, and despite the drain on the country’s resources, the government has continued to hold national military drills in preparation for hypothetical military aggression from the United States. The government continues to maintain a large state security apparatus under the Ministry of Interior to repress dissent within Cuba.

Tagged as: Background Notes, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, China, cuban air force, Cuban armed forces, Cuban army, Latin America, Ministry of Interior, national security, Russia, State Department, territorial militia troops, Venezuela, Youth Labor Army