Parade of Soviet-Supplied Arms Marks Cuban Revolt Anniversary

Cuba on Tuesday celebrated the 30th anniversary of the start of Fidel Castro’s revolution with a parade of the country’s Soviet-supplied arsenal of planes, tanks and missiles.

As Castro looked on approvingly from the reviewing stand at Revolutionary Plaza, MIG jet fighters roared overhead and tanks and other equipment rumbled past.

Castro’s brother, Raul, the defense minister, recalled that at one point in their struggle 30 years ago, the guerrillas had only seven rifles. The military now has 700,000 rifles, he said in a speech before the 50-minute parade.

Under partly cloudy skies, hundreds of kerchief-waving school children carried a replica of the yacht Granma on which Castro and 81 followers arrived from Mexico on Dec. 2, 1956. Eleven of them later rejected Castro’s turn to communism, and one was shot as a traitor during the revolution.

Castro established a mountain base, gathered support and overcame the 40,000-member army of Cuban strongman Fulgencio Batista. The victory brought Castro to power on Jan. 1, 1959.

Revolution’s Folklore

The events surrounding the rebels’ activities of that time 30 years ago have become a part of the revolution’s folklore.

Tuesday’s parade offered Cubans a rare glimpse of the Soviet equipment that has enabled the nation to become Latin America’s second biggest military power after Brazil. A Soviet delegation was on hand to watch.

Fidel Castro peered down, often with the help of binoculars, as Soviet T-55 and T-62 tanks rolled past along with SAM-2 missiles capable of knocking high-flying airplanes out of the sky.

According to U.S. estimates, the Cubans have 1,000 Soviet tanks and 200 jet fighters.

Thousands of members of all branches of the armed forces took part in the parade, including airborne brigades, cavalrymen and members of the 1.1 million-member territorial militia.

Missiles With Roman Numerals

Amphibious armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, armored personnel carriers and other equipment also were displayed. Some missiles had XXX, the Roman numeral for 30, painted in bright red to commemorate the anniversary.

A huge billboard was erected at the edge of Revolutionary Plaza depicting the Granma. There were portraits of Karl Marx and the late Ernesto (Che) Guevara, who was Castro’s chief lieutenant.

From their small beginning 30 years ago, the revolutionary armed forces now are believed to number about 300,000, including reserve forces. They are aided by an estimated 7,700 Soviet military advisers and intelligence specialists.