INDICATIONS OF THE TRANSFER OF SAM SITES IN CUBA FROM SOVIET TO CUBAN CONTROL

Created: 2/27/1963

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

TOP SECRET

sc No.3

APPROVED rc* htLtASE DATE:4

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Current Intelligenceebruary

CURRENT INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: Indications of the Transfer or SAM Sites In Cube from Soviet to Cuban control

have no indications that any SAMhoen turned over to Cubans yet. Ourtoo scanty at this time to permit aon the timing ofransfer. thatM tralnlne for Cubans teave little direct evidence aa totraining may have begun. umber of reports,

to3

bh thn tine -her; * of change related tO 3AM sites is likely.

are summaries of thearranged In chronological order,receivod Indicating that transfer of thoto the Cubans is planned:

^SAM transportergui VHn* nirplle was drivon inin Helena by Cubancruiuo missile transporter basLy Cubans in this parado. ysoa equipment was preccnt,inlgfct be that tbe ti.Hminnlles had or were toof the Cuban military inventory.

ource, whosohad previously proven not eport ihai onthe Cuban military would"all out" anti-aircraft effortCuban skies of unidentified An order to this effectto have been circulated as of

anuary.

g. In mid-February, Joaquin Ordoqul, chief of Cuban army logistics, was quoted as stating that as of early February tbe SovletB wore instructing Cubans in the operation of SAMs. When Cubans had becono proficient, the Soviets would be withdrawn and the Cuban government would then have the sole right towhen to use these weapons. The Cubans had agreed with the Soviets not to use the weapons against US reconnaissance flights.

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h. In his speechebruary, Fidel Caatro iaplled that Cuban technicians were needed to "manage" SAM systems. He said, "Weood technician tourface-to-air missile, but atsame time we take bin out of school. No, it hurts toood technician. What to do?"

3. revious memorandum, we have pointed out that If training of Cubans began sometime inhe normal training cycle used by tho Soviet forces would load us to expect Cuban units to begin to appear at established SAM sites in March or However, if CubansSAM training in tho USSR or other bloc countries earlierhey could already have begun to replace Soviet units.

Original document.

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