CUBAN MILITARY AVIATION: Volume 2 -- The Cuban Army Air Force, the fight against Castro's Guerrillas, and the Bay of Pigs, 1952-1961

1-250112

Continues the two-part study of Cuba's air power, examining the turbulent decade that saw the island's military aviation thrust into sustained combat, political collapse, and Cold War confrontation. Traces how the FAEC evolved from a conventional air arm into a force heavily engaged in counterinsurgency operations, flying thousands of combat sorties against guerrilla forces in the Sierra Maestra and across the island. Provides a detailed operational analysis of air campaigns conducted with aircraft such as the F-47 Thunderbolt, B-26 Invader, T-33 Shooting Star, and a wide array of light liaison and attack aircraft. Examines the introduction of helicopters, forward air control techniques, night operations, and the growing strains placed on personnel and materiel by an intensifying civil war, compounded by political interference, corruption, and the imposition of a US arms embargo. Contains 277 black and white photos, 18 color profiles, 5 color maps, 1 black and white map, and 17 tables.