| Unit Name: | Revolutionary Anti-Air Defence and Air Force |
| Native Name: | Spanish; Castilian: Defensa Anti-Aérea y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria |
| Country: |  Cuba |
| Type: | Air force |
| Role: | Aerial warfare Aerial defence |
| Size: | 8,000 Personnel |
| Command Structure: | Revolutionary Armed Forces |
| Nickname: | DAAFAR |
| Notable Commanders: | Major General Pedro Mendiondo Gómez[1] [2] |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Roundel |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Fin flash |
| Aircraft Fighter: | MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29 |
| Aircraft Helicopter Attack: | Mil Mi-24 |
| Aircraft Trainer: | Aero L-39 |
| Aircraft Transport: | Mil Mi-8, Mil Mi-17, An-24 |
The Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (es|Defensa Anti-Aérea y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria) commonly abbreviated to DAAFAR in both Spanish and English, is the air force of Cuba.
The Cuban Army Air Force was the air force of Cuba that existed prior to 1959.
See main article: Bay of Pigs Invasion. When the Cuban Revolution overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista at the end of 1958, the new government led by Fidel Castro inherited most of the aircraft and equipment of the old regime, which was supplemented by the aircraft of the revolutionaries own Fueza Aérea Rebelde, to form the new Fuerza 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.
In April 1961, CIA-backed Cuban 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. The remaining operational aircraft were deployed against the Cuban exiles landings on 19 April, sinking one transport, the Rio Escondido and badly damaging another, the Houston, which was beached, resulting in the loss of most of the invader's supplies.
In 1969, the inadequacy of the radar coverage to the south of the United States were dramatically illustrated when a Cuban Air Force MiG-17 went undetected before it landed at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida[3] and two years later, an Antonov An-24 similarly arrived unannounced at New Orleans International Airport.[3]
In the 1980s, Cuba with the help of the Soviet 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 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[4]) of these planes are still in service spread out among the thirteen military airbases on the island.In the late 1980s, Cuba implemented a plan to acquire 45 MiG-29 Falcrum, 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 12 MiG-29 (9.12B) fighter aircraft and two MiG-29UB (9.51) trainer aircraft being delivered. https://www.laahs.com/the-cuban-migs/.
In 1996, fighters from the DAAFAR shot 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.[5]
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.[6]
By 2007 the International 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. https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11211752https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11312641https://www.netairspace.cc/photos/230/Cuban_Air_Force_Fuerza_Aerea_de_Cuba/Mikoyan_Gurevich_MiG-23ML_Flogger-G/MUSA_San_Antonio_de_los_Banos/photo_434018/medium.jpg?uq=720201.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 all MiG-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 brand Aerogaviota. Up to 20 MiG-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.
At San Antonio de los Baños military air field, south west of Havana, several aircraft are visible using Google Earth.[7]
Source:[9]
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 of World 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 the Bay of Pigs Invasion.[10] Among its notable members was Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. It is a recipient of the Antonio Maceo Order, which was awarded to it in 2014 on its 55th anniversary. 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.[11]
Reference materials.https://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/cuba/Cuba-af_current_inventory.htmThe number of aircraft used is merely a confirmed number.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||||||
| MiG-21 | Soviet Union | Interceptor | MiG-21MF | 4[12] | The remaining 56 aircraft are unknown. | |
| MiG-29 | Soviet Union | MiG-29(9.12B) | 2 | The remaining 10 aircraft are unknown. | ||
| Transport | ||||||
| Antonov An-24 | Soviet Union | Transport | An-24 | 3 | The other 17 aircraft may have been resold to civil aviation or scrapped. | |
| Antonov An-26 | Soviet Union | Transport | An-26 | 3 | The remaining 27 aircraft were decommissioned (five of which were lost in crashes during missions). | |
| Yakovlev Yak-40 | Soviet Union | Transport | Yak-40 | 3 | The remaining five have been retired. | |
| Ilyushin Il-62 | Soviet Union | Transport | Il-62M | 1 | It is primarily used to transport important members of the leadership. | |
| Ilyushin Il-96 | Soviet Union | Transport | Il-96-300PU | 2 | It is primarily used to transport important members of the leadership. | |
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Mil Mi-8 | Soviet Union | Utility | Mi-8TBK | 2 | The remaining 18 are out of service. | |
| Mil Mi-17 | Soviet Union | Utility | Mi-17 | 12 | The remaining 16 are out of service. | |
| Mil Mi-24 | Russia | Attack | Mi-35 | 4 | The remaining 20 are not in operation. | |
| Trainer aircraft | ||||||
| Aero L-39 | Czechoslovakia | Jet trainer | L-39C | 5 | The whereabouts of the remaining 25 aircraft are unknown. | |
| MiG-21U | soviet union | Jet trainer | MiG-21U、MiG-21UM | 7(MiG-21U×1、MiG-21UM×6) | Three other MiG-21Us have been retired. | |
| MiG-29U | soviet union | Jet trainer | MiG-29UB(9.51) | 1 | Of the two planes acquired, the remaining one was sent to a museum. | |
