[tog-t6e-t0402] fe Ome ae . rere: et 1). Five fet planes, erly fuir of which are in Siyine we we Nt wr ra - wy we rors Yee ee H - CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY This n.elerins gonteing Information etecting the Wacicnel leferee cf the Catted Baws within the meaning of the Lapiemage Lava, Title 3@, UAC Bera. Tsk and TH, eae WARaMReeom tf fere.ation of which in Oy Meawer Wy as uLeutleized pemen is PPO rtes Ue ae ; xopoax/* ee __ =4 COUNTRY - Cuba pePORT NO, = CS -3/1:08, 635 SUBJECT Cuban Revolutionary Air Ferce (F223 DATE OISTR Lh August 1953 . Inforzstion Concerning St ; oo : Equapaent, and Loyalty of Perzannel NO. PAGES 3 to Government of Fidel CAS729 Ruy REFERENCES RD ? OTE OF | duly 1959 ; cs-3/108 636. Fd INFC. PLACE & Cuba, Habana - DATE ACO. (28.29 Suly ee . FIELD FEPORT NO. SOURCE EVALUATIONS 425 APPRAISAL CF CONTENT 15 TEesTATIVE ; — SOURCE: =| Former zezber of the Cuban armed Forces whe is symrathetic to Pedro Ints DIAZ Lanz, former FAR chief (F}.  Aznraisal of Content: 3e i. There follows inforzation on the Cutan Revolutionary Air Force (FA2}, its strength, equipment, sers nel, and training ccurses. ., F a. Leatershin = Juag ALMEIDA HOSuue, Who replaced Feta Luiz DIAZ Tanz as chief of the FAN, 28 not 4 pilot himself and he knows nothing about alrereft or abcut the adsinistraties of an air ~ force. He has diszissed 19 officers from the FL2 since he -= assuzed comand.in Jane 1369, séveral of whom were anong the < best pilots in the FAR, He is a "yes-zan® to Fidel CASTHO Ruz, ‘Prize Minister of Cuba, : pees be Persennel = There are aprrexizately 1 pilots in the FAR at present, and caly six or feven of tres are.corpetent. ‘The ; majority of tre acchantes are feorcer BATISTA personnel, and 5 most of the repiacezer?ts ara repaars ¢n tne aircraft are 4 made ty cannibalizinr, at ome tiae en: ef the tes efficers j of the FAR establishes Presaratersy school in Sarasao, in i. Habana Province, for pocsons uno santed-to take the 3 exantnationa for f£lis>: trad ize In March 1959 *here were “sos. s BSS stadents enrellad + this 3c Shy 290 of whos wors. illiterate. Fidel CAsTZ0 totd the cermanding ‘offfeer that : there was no necé for <och wwinanations, thst he Jfid nct "Want "fancy boys® in th: FA2. tut wanted ar tead pilots like * the Japanese SUlélde -iicts “aa would co shere cy Bere to Gp 8 Leola ays Ab tims ‘Ses tieteennenerneemeemeraasratnsesqeeenstett tte €. Status of Aircraft ~ The FAZ has the follcelcg abreraft: cordition,. CASTRC ts trying to get core Jet plancs: , Loe frca Venezuela, : . — r2).. Teenty Purdes, only six of which are in flying ccndition’ Vf wo “Be Four DC~3s. Al ba. + Sem wee. ot anal” Be mesg
14-00000 ot women t : ;. + ee, 5.) of weieh ig in very coor cerdition. 6.) Te) 8.) feo CHl6s, one Two DC-ls, one of which is being repaired. Seven Pell helicopters. B-268, nurter uninom. Fa5 oP Assunition = The tas 1,500,200 rounds of SC-caliber anwiniticn, 17 to 25 five-nurdred-rourd Scexbs, gin2 rockets, All SGecaliber machine} gens have been resoved from the Fal's Pel:7? planes and.hava Ceen cet cn tripods fer ground and air tote Ge awe defense in areas where attacks are exptctedc. @. Inetrvetore = Tne FAR ecploys ii Coilean ins‘ructors. Thay each recoirs Fir a month as ealary.l SS : With regard to comsorcial aircraft is o:ba, Cuba Aeropostal Za. (Civan dtr Postal Aviation Company) haz fcum C5 picnes. ‘This esmpany 13 unter the direction of a Captain SET (fnu},* SHUEY sends pisnes te Eiant fren Cuda every three or four days te scuggie.arss back into Cuba, SIT is & suspected Comsunist, Tith recard *s Scxupanda Cobana de aviasica (CUEANA Airlines), it lacks experienced pilets oczause Fidel CiSTmO dismissed ali of the experienced pilots. £ gun ra COLLMA now cmerates at a less of {40,000 a renthe ef Mafor Pedro Inis DIAZ Lanz on 30 Sune 1959 =any Far dlenissed from the FAR py ALMEIDA. Some of these men fled to Miani, sore retained in Sitana, the wheresbcuts of otrers a7@ not known, ‘There are also several sen who remained in the Fl2, but who are believed to be loyal to DIL Lanz ond rho probasly would sunpert nin if He attenpled to ovarthros CAST2O.3 The aases of sma of these nea and informision on them, when available Tolless: a. These who fled to Wiaxt. / - * Oe oo Vm ox pA ~ Ses , ie) Hagor Jose Moris y Fernandut = FaR, or third-in-commane <2 the oo 2.) Masor Bent sao DX = 839 nad 19 years and was considered the best plict in 2 ALMEDDA. 3, Following the defection . officers resigned or «ere Petal : Cr Cy, é t \ » iy a 4 1} oy ~ . @ Ang . ny wee ee Bee, « ut t cE we : on wo Ar ze . pais é sien sce in hana unin neeunnenes-asamasessutteueasnsnesaeucewennen WOR k be so 8a bees. Kepetetnid taecmeaapaating: Yorrer Adjutant-—General of the dence in the Air Force £e was: disnissce by ‘ Lt. vanuel casnd -, Becellest pilot. oe Jose Marcos Diaz Lanz + Erother of Pedro Luis DIAZ Inspector—Generas of tae F223. 3.) 5.) ster - Excellest pilot. oo Captain Buber las frose zho rezained in Habana pit lert PAR Tens so o be . 1.) Captain Noster ALVAREZ ~ Aesizais iron the Fax Rees DIAS Lang deft -. !on 20 conga, Ee was the oilot bio Slew Fidel Casto back to Cuda from Sogota, Colexbia, 1: .S.3. At preseat he is in Sicong dn
Co Headcuarters Comments ; 3 CS-3/'.08 635 hod o 2.) Captain Rafael suse, occ pajmaster of the FAR, & “orcer xecber of the 26 of July koverest, ke risisnca when Potro voliZ Lans defected, He is in touch with Elcy GUTIDZIES Lensya, of the “runo Frente Kactenal del Escazbray (S32, Secesd ational Front cf the Zseazhray). 3.) Major Antonio mores Wes considered the best pilotenavigator in the FAR, He was dienissed by 222704 and new is in Bicing in Esbana, ! se shcse whese whereabouts c= 1.) Captain Blas RAISO¢“. Forner caster ef the 25 of Jaly Ysverens ard ° Qualified pilot, was d‘cnicset by 4LicT.. Srebably {3 in Eabana, 2e) Captain GARCIA Iniguez (f03) = Former secber of tha 25 of July ¥ovenent and qualified pliot, was cisxizssed by ALWETA asd probably 4s in Habana now, ; . 30) Captain Juan VIVE) = Was 2ctastant to Jose Marcos DILT Lans and. resigned when Pedro DIAZ Lane nelt, | : ie 3 On & March 1959 the Santiezgo, Chile, sew:omers reported ttat the folowing forser CINTA and ALA Pilots had tes sentrzccet by the C.bcs, Coverncent as Fan instrustors: German 20f7=cYy Siu23, Jaice LON Y7iociSilva, Carlos a ° Riderelfi S2noz, Expo Bursaries, easques LAces Rav, enen APTI, wenthez, Gerardo Pelenesy €rugene, ax ernisrs MIzgiE Glivrier, TOSS.” 3/L02, 325, dated 13 ime 3959, resorted tast tytse etent =n; 2s well.as another Chilean by ths cans af dccres AST Foret, one 4ccotiean, end tao Vesezuclan pilots were flying arzs frcz Ota “to the isle af Pines and, trea there directly te Nicaragua, usizpAel$ plenes from Fezezuela, This say refer to Jose Alberto S:ucrir y Ssalros, wrhowas a silot for the 26 of July Movenent Curing the revlsticn, &, TSOS-3/102,059, ToCS~. 3/380, 304, and TDCS-3/379,083 Ler fartcer details oa dese 4Tserto SETDEY, Cl. CS-3/103,636 for a resort fron ts size source on other persons, not FAR officers, *ho probably would scrcert DIAZ ices if ke act =pted to overthrow CASTRO, 7 , . oO, : . 5 Cf. T9CS-3/103,000, dated 19 June 1953, Ehich resorted that C20Z had resigned a3 FAR Adjutant General. “his w-3 bela DUZ Img hod defected, but while ALYEDDA was Acting Chief of the Fag, ee i ce nom oo « Paves a eb ietetattneanee on 34 Be Dee