The move is "a reflection of growing tensions between Washington and Havana", according to the Military Balance 2004/2005, the publication of the the London-based IISS.

Cuban ground forces are made up of small and lightly armed autonomous units spread out all over the island in 126 small regions.

Most of the Soviet-made weapons used by the Cuban armed forces are outdated and considered obsolete by most experts.

The IISS believes the army consists of 38,000 men divided up into four to five armed brigades, nine mechanised infantry brigades, one airborne brigade, 14 reserve brigades and one frontier brigade.

These forces are supplemented by an air defence artillery regiment and a surface-to-air missile brigade.

Terrestrial forces can count on 900 Soviet-made tanks (T-34, T-54/55, T-62, , 700 armed troops transport vehicles (BTR-40/50/60/152), 500 mobile artillery pieces, 175 rocket-launchers and various missiles, including 300 surface-to-air missiles (SA-6/7/8/9/13/14/16).

The Cuban navy is made up of around 3,000 men and only small naval units: A Pauk II corvette, six Osa II patrol boats equipped with Styx surface-to surface missiles, three Stenka patrol boats, six minesweepers and 18 small Zhuk coastal patrol boats.

There are 550 naval infantry men defending Cuba's shoreline. They are armed with artillery and a limited number of missiles.

According to the IISS, the Cuban air force consists of 8,000 men divided into six squadrons: two are made up of 10 MiG-23BN fighters each, two with 30 MiG-21F planes each, one with 50 MiG-21bis and one comprising of 20 MiG-23MF and 6 MiG-29.

The air force also has attack helicopters (45 Mi-8/17 and Mi-25/35), four transport squadrons (a total of 30 vehicles) and 40 liaison helicopters.

Air defence forces have several types of Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles (AS-7, AA-2, AA-7, AA-8, AA-10, AA-11).

Finally, the Cuban forces are supplemented by a paramilitary force which includes 20,000 Interior Ministry state security men.

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