Assessment

The collapse of the Soviet Union has deprived the Cuban Army of its major economic and logistic support, and has had a significant impact on equipment numbers and serviceability. The army remains well trained and professional in nature, and is likely to have adopted previous doctrine to take into account the current shortcomings in the quality and quantity of equipment held.  While the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment and the current severe shortage of fuel have increasingly affected its operational capability and may continue to do so on some scale, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to any regional power, including the United States. The international political environment, the country’s economic plight and Castro’s own conclusions about his Cold War interventions abroad, have limited Cuba’s efforts to export Marxist revolution. A new relationship with oil rich Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has translated into a recent boost in operational readiness, mainly due to oil credits and donations. So far this has not translated into a formal re-surge in Cuban military prowess, but Cuban instructors and doctrine is bound to penetrate the new ALBA member’s armed forces (Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia). However, most of Cuba’s foreign serving personnel are doctors.  As in other Latin American countries, the army is the dominant service even though the FAR suffers from less interservice rivalry than most armed services in the region. There are three major geographical commands: Cuantos, Comandos, and Geográficos. Each command is designed to be a self-sufficient entity for operational.

Deployments, tasks and operations

The defined role of the FAR is to defend the Revolution from internal and external enemies and this has in the past included giving material assistance to friendly governments in the furtherance of Marxist-Leninist ideals. Today, the only realistic objective of the FAR is the defence of Cuban territory.

Source: Jane’s World Armies

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Prensa Latina reports over 1,400 young officers graduated and will join the Cuban Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias) as military sciences graduates and engineers in different branches.

Cuban Vice President, José Ramón Machado Ventura, and Julio Casas Regueiro, General of the Armed Forces and Minister of FAR, chaired the military ceremony held in the historical Plaza de la Revolución.

Commissioned officers were cadets, coastguards and students from superior and technical military teaching centers of the country who graduated in promotion 55th Anniversary of Moncada Garrison Attack.

The new officers, when taking the oath, expressed their commitment to firmly defend and safeguard the sovereignty and independence of the nation, and to follow the patriotic traditions of the Cuban people.

The present young officers’ graduation takes place at a time when the world is living a difficult, complex and uncertain situation, stated Joaquín Quinta Solá, General of the Armed Forces and Vice Minister of FAR.

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A political and military ceremony of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias-FAR), situated east of the capital of Havana, was held to commence preparations for the defensive year of the Eastern Army (Ejército Occidental) whose areas of command encompasses the provinces of Pinar del Río, La Habana, Ciudad de La Habana and special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.

Presiding over the ceremony were: Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida Bosque, Army Corps Generals Álvaro López Miera (Vice-Minister and Chief of the General Staff, FAR) and Leopoldo Cintra Frías (Chief, Western Army); other military chiefs and presidents of territorial defense councils.

Brigade General José Manuel Diez Castro (Chief, Political Section of the Western Army) announced the principal work paths for the year, among them: constant elevation of political, moral and disciplined state, betterment of units’ living conditions, cultural elevation of sergeants and soldiers, increase of reserves, security and protection, conditioning military theater of operations, completing the second stage of Operation Caguairán and realization for the year end Bastión 2008 Strategic Exercises.

Source: Granma

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