Cuban naval projects (post-1959)

[Vahe Demirjian]

I read on Wikipedia that the Cuban Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria=Revolutionary War Navy) has its own midget submarine, the Delfin, and converted two Spanish-built fishing boats into the Rio Damuji-class frigate, but is it reasonable to assume that Cuba during and after Fidel Castro's rule has been engaged in projects for indigenous naval vessels besides the Delfin and Rio Damuji that are based on North Korean and Soviet submarines and coastal defense surface vessels? I'd imagine that given that the high cost of Cuba shipping spare parts from the former Soviet Union for its remaining active Soviet-supplied coastal defense vessels, the MGR has encouraged the Cuban weapons industry to convert active Soviet-supplied naval vessels into homegrown naval weapons, since the MGR has employed the indigenous Bandera (a copy of the Styx anti-ship missile) and Remulgadas anti-ship missile systems, and the Frontera self-propelled coastal defense multiple rocket launcher.

 

[Dilandu]

Well, Cuba isn't exactly the country with large naval ambitions. Their navy main role is border protection and maritime security. Coastal defense is another thing; its main idea is to deter US from attempting something stupid like sending another bunch of n-generation migrants to island. Cubans are pragmatic; they realize, that they could not fight off a full-scale US invasion, but they could make such attempt costly enough for Washington to NOT do it.

 

[Dilandu]

There was some... strange unit, noticed in Cuban waters. A mobile torpedo raft, for the lack of better definition:


Essentially it's a 21-inch (533-mm) Soviet-made torpedo tube (probably from decommissioned motor torpedo boat), mounted on a pair of pontoons, and equipped with outboard motor.

It was suggested that such... unit, is a mobile coastal-protection torpedo battery, that is supposed to move quietly to the threatened area and be camouflaged near coast - to launch anti-ship torpedoes against enemy amphibious forces.

 

[World B4]

They have a land-based rbu, not sure if that’s the frontera or not. They also apparently have indigenous coastal defense radars. Plus the “mystery torpedo boat” described by H I Sutton. Oryx blog has some interesting stuff

 

[lordroel]

There was some... strange unit, noticed in Cuban waters. A mobile torpedo raft, for the lack of better definition:

View attachment 671373View attachment 671374
Essentially it's a 21-inch (533-mm) Soviet-made torpedo tube (probably from decommissioned motor torpedo boat), mounted on a pair of pontoons, and equipped with outboard motor.

It was suggested that such... unit, is a mobile coastal-protection torpedo battery, that is supposed to move quietly to the threatened area and be camouflaged near coast - to launch anti-ship torpedoes against enemy amphibious forces.

Well if it float it can kill, the enemy where your point your weapon to ore the crew of the boat that fires that weapon.