The Soviet Cuba Division

[RN7]

According to Red Star-Lone Star.

As of late summer 2000 Soviet Division Cuba had 3,000 men and 15 operational tanks (mostly T-80's & T-72's) with some other AFV (mostly BTR-70's and BMP variants).

Soviet forces attacking Brownsville: (230 men, 3x BMP, 8x BTR-70, 2x ZSU-30, 9x Jeeps, 6x Trucks)

Soviet forces attacking Port Isabel: (120 men, 4x BTR-70, 5x Jeeps, 2x Trucks, 2x Fuel Tankers)

It likely that the Soviets have also captured or acquired a number of US and Mexican military and light vehicles and some artillery as well.

[Abbott Shaull]

More than likely, but I don't see the Cubans letting the Soviet leave with 'their' toys. Mostly the Soviets retained operational control over Anti-Air Missile Batteries and Aviation assets that were loaned out. Same thing naval vessel they invariably loan out to their 'brothers-in-arms'.

[rcaf_777]

I found a DIA report online can't post in on here due bandwidth, this is what I was able to come up with

Soviet Forces Cuba

The Soviet Forces have been in Cuba since shortly before the Cuba missiles, the soviet the main purpose of the soviet troops in Cuba is provide a technical assistance to Cuba forces, engage in signal intelligence, provide a symbolic show of force to the US that the USSR is ready to defend Cuba. With a one Motorized Rifle Brigade, this unit is more defensive force rather than a combat unit capable of conducting operations beyond Cuba. Given it size and equipment it would take a build up of equipment and transport aircraft before this unit could sent outside of Cuba, signs of which would observed by the US

Motorized Rifle Brigade (1x Tank Battalion, 3x Motorized Rifle Battalions) 2600
Cuban Military Advisory Group - 2000
Cuban Civilian Advisory Group - 8000
Lourdes Signals Intelligence Facility (See Below) 1500
Total Troops: 14,100

Bases
Lourdes Signals Intelligence Facility: The Lourdes Signals Intelligence facility, located near Havana, Cuba, was the largest facility of its kind operated by the KBG, outside of the U.S.S.R. Located less than 100 miles from Key West, the facility covered 28 square miles. The facility is staffed by over 1,500 KGB, GRU, Cuban DGI, and Eastern Bloc technicians, engineers and intelligence operatives.

I way I see it, once the war gets really going most of troops and modern equipment in Cuba leave for China or European Fronts. The Soviet do send replacements but they are thrid class troops, too old or medical unfit for combat.

The US attacks (conventional) airfeilds that can take Bear Bombers, as well as the Naval Bases, and the Lourdes Signals Intelligence Facility, which scares Fidel to point where he breaks with the Soviets. He knows he will not survie an american invasion, and with the Soviets occuppied eles where he can only offer a token defensive.

I can also see the Soviets no longer providing oil or any cash to prop up Cuba, so I see them try to build an alliance with left nations in centeral or south america

[sglancy12]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

Soviet Forces Cuba

Motorized Rifle Brigade (1x Tank Battalion, 3x Motorized Rifle Battalions) 2600
Cuban Military Advisory Group - 2000
Cuban Civilian Advisory Group - 8000
Lourdes Signals Intelligence Facility (See Below) 1500
Total Troops: 14,100

Well, considering that by the late Summer of 2000 the Soviet Division Cuba was whittled down (according to the scenario Red Star/Lone Star and the Soviet Vehicle Guide) to 3,000 men, 15 operational tanks and a number of AFVs, I suppose that those numbers are not a terrible starting point.

Being stuck in the continental US, there might be fewer desertions since there's no way to just walk back to Minsk. Plus, they're in Texas, where neck-tie parties are an institution. Surrendering to the Texans might go badly for the Soviets.

Plus, the unit sounded like it performed fairly well during the invasion of Texas, with more casualties caused by partisan snipers after the occupation of San Antonio rather than by the US 49th Armored Division in 1999.

However, this is an ad hoc division, formed from those forces marooned in Cuba. Except for the Motor Rifle Brigade, none of these individuals have worked together as a coordinated unit. The military advisers may be extremely skilled individuals, but they are not operating as companies or battalions. Maybe while the unit was marooned, the Soviets could have taken some time and prepared their non-combatants by having the military advisers train the non-combatants as line infantrymen between 1995 and 1998.

The big question is whether they'd have enough gear to field close to 8,000 men. For my part the inclusion of T72s suggests that the Cuban gave the soviets some gear as part of the deal to get them to leave the island. Aren't T72s the export version of the T64? Soviets would have had a problem with logistics since none of their Pact standard gear is compatible with the gear the Mexican Army is packing in 1998.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by sglancy12

Aren't T72s the export version of the T64?

Only kind of. In many ways the T-72 is more advanced than the T-64, in some ways less advanced. Armor sloping and turret silhouette are also a bit different.

[HorseSoldier]

And the Soviets fielded a lot of T-72s in addition to the ones they exported.

If I remember right, the Soviets also had a battalion or so sized SOF force who were there specifically to launch direct action missions against targets in the US if the balloon went up. With Castro's "I'll just sit this one out" approach to the war in the T2K timeline, these guys may not have done much before Div Cuba got shipped to Mexico, but their presence may help explain the battlefield successes of a mostly ad hoc unit.

[Legbreaker]

It's mentioned in Gateway to the Spanish Main that Cuba was involved in fighting in Angola. A number (unspecified) of regiments were involved with the worst (the 21st MRR) evacuated by ship in late 2000 (they arrived in Grenada in November 2000) after being defeated by non-Marxist guerillas.

Given their involvement in Africa (which apparently began in mid 1993 or even earlier), it's no real surprise the Cubans tried to remain neutral with respect to the European war and it's participants - they probably didn't have the troops available to defend themselves if they made too many political waves.