Military profile
Cuba Military Strength
Cuba ranks #66 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 50,000 active personnel.
Cuba armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 50,000#67 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 40,000#51 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 1,146,000#4 of 145
- Army personnel
- 40,000#74 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 8,000#61 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 3,550#66 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 80#80 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 38#48 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 0#65 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 14#105 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 4#64 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 1,230#21 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 100#35 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 397#27 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 80#44 of 145
Naval power
- Aircraft carriers
- 0#8 of 113
- Destroyers
- 0#15 of 113
- Frigates
- 2#42 of 113
- Corvettes
- 0#47 of 113
- Submarines
- 1#42 of 113
- Patrol vessels
- 7#82 of 113
- Mine warfare vessels
- 5#26 of 113
Finance
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $135.0 billion#77 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Cuba military spending 2010–2018
Military spending of Cuba grew by 36% between 2010 and 2018, from $94 million to $129 million (current US dollars), and stood at 2.9% of GDP in 2018.
Armed forces of Cuba
Branches and forces
Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Ground Troops (Tropas Terrestres), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR) Paramilitary forces under the FAR: Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT), Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT), Defense and Production Brigades (Brigadas de Producción y Defensa, BPD), Civil Defense Organization (Defensa Civil de Cuba) Ministry of Interior: National Revolutionary Police (Policía Nacional Revolucionaria, PNR), Directorate of Border Guard Troops (Dirección de Tropas de Guardia Fronteriza, TGF), Department of State Security (Departamento de Seguridad del Estado, DSE) (2025)
Personnel
limited available information; estimated 50,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Service age and conscription
military service is mandatory for all men and voluntary for women (ages 17-28); service obligation is 24 months with the Armed Forces or the Ministry of Interior; reserve commitment for men until age 45 (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the military's inventory is comprised of Russian and Soviet-era equipment (2025)
Good to know
the Cuban military is largely focused on protecting territorial integrity and the state; it perceives the US as its primary threat; the military is a central pillar of the Cuban regime and viewed as the guardian of the Cuban revolution; it has a large role in the country's politics and economy; many senior government posts are held by military officers, and the FAR reportedly has interests in agriculture, banking and finance, construction, import/export, ports, industry, real estate, retail, shipping, transportation, and tourism (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2020: 4.2% · 2019: 3.2% · 2018: 2.9% · 2017: 2.9% · 2016: 3.1%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).