SOVIET MILITARY DELIVERIES TO CUBA IN 1974

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86T00608R000500230004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 1, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: January 1, 1975
• Content Type: RP

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Soviet Military Deliveries to Cuba in 1974
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anuary
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S evict Military Deliveries
To Cuba in 1974
1. The USSR maintained a moderate level of arms
deliveries to Cuba in 1974. Seven Soviet ships delivered
some 11,000 metric tons of military equipment, somew}iat
below last year's shipments, but comparable wit}i t}~e
annual range of 10,000 to 12,500 tons noted since 1968.
The level of deliveries and the types of equipment supplied
suggest that the Soviets continue to be committed only to
a minimum replacement program.
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2. No new weapons syst^..ms are known to have b~.~en
introduced in 1974, but the variety of equipment s:uppliecl
was greater than in past years. Aircraft deliveries included
additional MTG-21J fighters and possibly a newer version
of the MIG-21 trainer Other shipments included T-34
tanks, an Osa-class guided missile patrol boat, and the
first identified delivery of SS-N-2 missiles in more than
three years.
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3. Soviet military shipments to Cuba in 197} began 25X1
in .January with the arrival of the: DmitriY_Culya and en!1~.-:d
on..22 November with one of the USSRTS mo'sL- i.rec{uent arm~'~
carriers, the Leninskiy Komsomol. Five of}icr Sovic~ sh:i.~as
transported arms to Cuba during the year
4. The 11,000 tons delivered was 1,600 tons below 25X1
1973 but is comparable with the general level of deliveries
in eactl of the past five years (see the table) . Six o.f
the seven shi s carried exclusivel ilitar~ car oes .
s in ie pas , sea or_ne s ipmen ~ o
mi i az?y equ to Cuba originated solely in the i~SSR.
No major arms deliveries are known to have arrived a.ri
Cuba by air since the 1962 missile crisis, although a
small amount of specialty spare parts is probably c:~.rried
on Aeroflot's scheduled services between Moscow ands H avar.a.
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Soviet Seat~orne Military Deliveries
To Cuba
Number
of Ships
Thousand
Metric Tons
19621
125
250.02
1963
1,0
38.7
1964
7
17.5
1965
5
10.8
1966
10
21.4
1967
20
41.1
1968
3
6.2
1969
7
11 .5
1970
8
11.3
1971
~ 9
1~'.1
1972
7
10.0
1973
5
12.6
1974
7
11.0
1. Mid-July to mid-October.
2. Estimated.
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Composition of Shipments
8. Continuing past patterns of Soviet military
deliveries, the bulk of military deliveries in 1974
consisted of small arms, ammunition, communications equi p-
ment, and assorted military trucks and jeeps. In addition
to these items, Cuba .received a c?;ide variety of other.
items such as aircraft, pat::~ol boats, SS-N-2 missile,
SA-2 missile systems equipment, and T-34 tanks.
9. fourteen aircraft were delivered to Cuba in 25X1
1974, of which nine were additional MIG-21J fighters an c3
five are thought to be a newer version of the MIG-21
trainer.
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. These deliveries,
ring Cuba's current inventory of MIG-21s
to 8 , including 23 of ~che J models.
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1'I. Ore Osa-class guided missiJ.e patrol boat w,3s
del3.vere~~. to Cuba in January 1974, bringing the Cuban
Navy's inventory of patrol craft using the SS-N-2 missile
to 1 8 IComars and 5 Osas . It is suspected that an unspecified
number of Komars -- perhaps as many as four -- have been
cannibalized. All these patrol craft are stationed afi.
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the Cai,anas naval facility some 40 miles w^st of Itavana.
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Finally, a small 'Lhuk-class patrol craft arrived in
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13. >Jquipme~zt associated with the SA-2 missile system
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arri ved in August
14. Although add~.tional fighter aircraft an c! Osa
deliveries may occur later in the year, we expect no
appreciable change in the overall level of military
shipments in 1975 There is no evidence of a shift in
Soviet policy which, since 1968, has emphasized replacement
of expended munitions, destroyed o~- obsolescent aircraft,
and worn out equipment in the Cuban armed forces. ?
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