Editing Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (section)

==Revolutionary Air and Air Defence Force==
{{main|Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force}}
[[File:4034204611 0c8ff691df o Cuban MIG over Florida.jpg|right|thumb|Cuban MiG-21MF from the 1970s]]
The Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defence Force (DAAFAR) was used in the 1980s with the help of the Soviet Union to be able to project power abroad, 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. In all, the modern Cuban Air Force had approximately 230 fixed-wing aircraft. Although there is no exact figure available, Western analysts estimate that at least 130 (with only 25 operational<ref name="cafr_airforce">{{cite web |url=http://www.cubapolidata.com/cafr/cafr_airforce.html |title=Cuban Armed Forces Review: Air Force |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210074214/http://www.cubapolidata.com/cafr/cafr_airforce.html |archive-date=2009-02-10 |first1=Armando F. III |last1=Mastrapa  |website=Cubapolidata  }}</ref>) of these planes are still in service spread out among the thirteen military airbases on the island.

In 1996, fighters from the DAAFAR [[1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft|shot down two Cessna aircraft]] based in Florida which were incorrectly suspected of dropping leaflets into Cuban airspace. The air force was criticised for not giving the pilots of the aircraft options other than being shot down. One aircraft escaped.<ref>Sections 3.18, 3.19 and 3.20 of the Resolution on the Cuban Government's Shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue Adopted by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the Twentieth Meeting of its 148th Session on 27 June 1996 [http://www.icao.int/icao/en/nr/1996/pio199606_c.pdf]</ref>

In 1998, according to the same DIA report mentioned above, the air force had "fewer than 24 operational [[Mikoyan-Gurevich]] (MiG) fighters; pilot training barely adequate to maintain proficiency; a declining number of fighter sorties, surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns to respond to attacking air forces."<ref>''[[Jane's Defence Weekly]]'', 13 May 1998</ref>

By 2007 the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] assessed the force as 8,000 strong with 41 combat capable aircraft and a further 188 stored. DAAFAR is known now to have acquired another MiG-29 and a few MiG-23s, giving it 58 combat aircraft in active service. These are listed as 6 [[MiG-29]]s, 40 [[MiG-23]]s, and 12 [[MiG-21]]s. IISS also estimated DAAFAR had 12 operational transport aircraft, plus trainers which include 8 L-39C, and helicopters, mainly Mil Mi-8, Mil Mi-17, and Mil Mi-24 Hind. Raúl Castro ordered in 2010 that all MiG-29 pilots had to have full training, they now have from 200–250 hours of flight annually together with real dogfight training and exercises.  Up to 20 MiG-23 units also have this kind of training but the other 16 MiG-23 units spend more time in simulators than real flight.  MiG-21 units have limited time in these training exercises and spend more time in simulators and maintain their skills flying with [[Aerogaviota]], the commercial brand of the air force.