Cuba’s military is facing fresh threats from the US, with a reduced force and aging hardware. According to a CNN analysis, hundreds of videos and images published online by the island nation’s military and government in recent months illustrate the reduced state of its combat force.

Cuba’s Military Capabilities

The videos deliberately showcase aging hardware because they’re designed to project defiance, not strength. They’re meant to show the resistance of the Cuban people, regardless of how Cuban forces might stack up against the larger and more technologically advanced US military.

Cuban officials say they have no intention of threatening the US, but they will defend themselves if attacked. In April, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel told Newsweek that if military aggression occurs, and should we fall in battle, to die for the homeland is to live.

History of Cuba’s Military

At its peak in the early 1990s, Cuba’s military had swelled to a force of over 235,000 active-duty personnel and more reservists, boasting what analysts lauded as a first-world military in a third-world country. The force has more than halved in recent years, experts say, to at most 50,000 active-duty personnel after the loss of Soviet support.

Cuba’s Air Force has also deteriorated since its Cold War-era might, and its remaining assets are rarely featured in public-facing releases. Decades ago, the Air Force operated several MiG fighter jets, nearly all of which are likely now dysfunctional, experts say.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.