Tropic Storm Division #2 - 1a División de Tanques

Commandantes!

Welcome back to another glorious WARNO - Tropic Storm division preview. In today’s blog, we’ll look at the very first South American Communist-aligned battlegroup: the Cuban 1a División de Tanques or 1st Tank Division.

That’s right: Cuba is one of the four major new nations to make their appearance in WARNO.

¡Hasta la victoria siempre!

Recent Cuban History

The Cuban 1a División de Tanques was in fact the only armored formation in the communist Cuban military, and as such, was more commonly known as the División de Tanques.

But let’s rewind a bit. Cuba occupies an interesting place in the political and military history of the Western Hemisphere. Being physically located so close to the United States (around 150km at its, the former Spanish colony was always thought to be firmly in America’s sphere of influence, at least for the first half of the 20th century. Ruled by authoritarian despots, corruption was rife, and the island in the 1940s and 50s was best known as the perfect party destination for the rich, famous, writers (Ernest Hemingway), and glamorous gangsters with its casinos, cheap rum, and mighty cigars.

Washington’s shock at the island’s successful socialist revolution in 1959, led by Fidel Castro and “Che” Guevara, was immense. From party town to communist outpost, and to make it even worse, Cuba strongly aligned itself with the USSR, in part spurned by the failed CIA-led Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. In the subsequent years, Cuba received massive amounts of military aid, including missiles, which turned into the famous Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

International Affairs
Cuba did not sit idle in the years that followed, very active in exporting its form of socialist uprising to a host of hotspots around the world (famously led by Che Guevara until his demise in Bolivia in 1967). This continued in the 1970s and 1980s with Cuba’s large-scale intervention in the Civil War of Angola, where it supported the communist-aligned MPLA (and came into direct conflict with Apartheid-era South Africa).

In WARNO’s alternative timeline, the late 1980s see a marked change in fortune for communist regimes in South America, including Hugo Chavez’s successful coup in Venezuela in the spring of 1989. As the world slowly slides toward war, Cuba, together with a newly emboldened Soviet Union, are instrumental in making the Venezuelan revolution a reality. Undoubtedly suspecting a strong response from the United States, Cuba arms and reinforces itself. The question whether Washington will act in a military way, or only with new and additional sanctions, is violently answered with the full-blown invasion of Cuba in the early summer of 1989.

The 1a División de Tanques Detailed

Cuba’s Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (Revolutionary Armed Forces) or FAR was quite small. Amounting to one armored division (today’s battlegroup), one artillery division, three mechanized ones, and a dozen infantry formations, it was actually much stronger on paper than in reality.

Roughly following the Soviet template of divisional organization, Cuban “divisions” were the size of a Soviet regiment or brigade. If you thought a French NATO division was small, they are still bigger than a Cuban one. And as mentioned previously, the Cuban FAR was greatly tied up in the Angolan Intervention, with almost 40% of the armed forces, all being regular troops.

Even though Cuba had a small army, it relied on a large and well-trained reserve. Military service on the communist island lasted for 3 years (that’s a long time), and once done with their military obligations, Cuban draftees would remain in active reserve for years. This means the FAR could quickly muster a huge number of well-trained reservists.

Guerra de Todo el Pueblo
In 1980, Cuba created the Milicias de Tropas Territoriales (Territorial Troops Militia) or MTT to serve concurrently with the nation’s armed forces. The MTT enrolled most of the population in local militia companies and regional battalions. Think of them as teenagers too young for military service, the elderly, women, citizens not otherwise drawn for service; all had to train and dedicate time (and often money) to the militia. By the mid-1980s, the MTT numbered almost 1.5 million Cubans, over 10% of the total population.

This was mostly a military idea based on the botched anti-revolutionary Bay of Pigs Invasion, with the new secondary forces large enough to deter another American invasion attempt. plot twist, in WARNO, it did not.

Lastly, since the early 1960s, but only revealed to the general American public in 1976, Cuba hosted a special “Soviet brigade in Cuba”, or officially the 7th Special Motorized Rifle Brigade. These Soviet troops protected the USSR's national interests on the island (especially listening and radar stations) while also acting as instructors for Cuban troops.

Coming back to the 1a División de Tanques. It was equipped with the best Cuba could offer, as provided by its Soviet allies: T-62, BMP-1, Shilka, Osa. However, at the same time, the FAR had to make do with a lot of older equipment and recycled a fair number of vehicles and weapons (including the T-34 tank in some unique ways).

The 1a División de Tanques in WARNO

How will the 1a División de Tanques be featured in WARNO - Tropic Storm? New units are both italic and bolded. The following is still work in progress and subject to change, especially units’ designation.

LOG

• An average logistical category for the Cuban armored division.
• They will get access to command units such as the ALFAVIT, the Leader variant of the GAZ-69 jeep, and the ubiquitous CHAIKA.
• The supply arm will be formed by a FOB, light GAZ-53 and medium ZIL-157 supply trucks.

INF

• Pretty good. The core of the division’s infantry fighting forces will be composed of:
  • The MEC. FUSILEROS, which are 8-strong squads with 6x AKM, 2x PKM and RPG-7VM, riding to battle in GAZ-53 and BTR-60PB.
  • The MEC. FUSILEROS (RPG-18), replacing the PKM with RPKs, and the RPG-7 with the RPG-18, plus the IFV trait. Limited in numbers, these squads can deploy in either GAZ-53 or the BMP-1. Cuban-fielding BMP-1s have their gun’s autoloader removed.
  • The MEC. FUSILEROS MANDO is a 6-strong Command squad with 6x AKM, RPG-18 and Smoke grenades, IFV trait and being transported in the GAZ-53, BTR-60PB, and BMP-1.
  • With the Cuban Intervention into the Angolan Civil War being in year 14 by 1989, and with frequent troop rotations in and out, the FAR could count on plentiful combat veterans. These are represented as BARBUDOS (the nickname for bearded Cuban revolutionaries), which are 9-strong squads with AKM-S, 2x PKM, and 2x RPG-7VL, plus the Shock trait. They deploy in GAZ-53 and either unarmed or armed Mi-8.
  • The RESERVISTAS squads are Cuban reservists recalled to service. These would form a third infantry battalion, raised from reservists, within every infantry regiment. As mentioned previously, Cuban reservists would be just out of three years’ worth of military service, meaning they will not gain the Reservist trait - instead being just Veterancy locked. The RESERVISTAS squads are 10-strong, and equipped with 9x AKM, 1x RPK and Czechoslovakian RPG-75, riding in open-topped BTR-60P.

• Support weapons include:
  • PKM 7,62mm HMG and PLAMYA 30mm automatic grenade launchers.
  • INGENIEROS is an 8-strong combat engineer squad with 7x AKM, 1x PKM, and Explosives, as well as the Shock trait. They also get to deploy in GAZ-53 and BTR-60PB APCs.
  • BOINAS ROJAS, or “Red Berets”, are 4-strong military police units with the Polish Wz. 43/52 SMG (a local variant of the PPS-43) and the Military Police and Security traits, deploying in a GAZ-69 with the Military Police trait.
  • Lastly, the GAZ-69 CANONEROS are fire support jeeps with the B-11 RCL.

• Attached to the 1a División de Tanques, the Soviet brigade provides the following units:
  • KUBASHY ("Cubans" in Russian) are 6-strong squads with 4x AKM, 1x RPK, and 1x PKM (all 7,62mm to fit with Cuban logistics) and RPG-7VL, coming in GAZ-66B and BTR-60PB. They also sport a special Cuban camouflage uniform.
  • KUBASHY (RPG-22), similar to the above unit but with RPG-22 instead, the IFV trait and access to BMP-1P with Fagot ATGM.
  • KUBASHY KOM. are 4-strong command squad with 3x AKM, 1x SVD, RPG-22, and Smoke grenades, as well as the IFV trait. They come in either UAZ-3151, BMP-1P (Fagot), and BMP-1P (Konkurs).
  • KUBASHY FAKTORIYA and KUBASHY KONKURS ATGM teams.

• A pretty good division. The 1a División de Tanques didn’t have access to plentiful artillery organically, a deficiency we have remedied in WARNO with the inclusion of several artillery pieces from the other (single) FAR artillery division.
• Divisional artillery consists of BM-37 82mm and PM-43 120mm mortars.
• Plus self-propelled 2S1, 2S3, and BM-21 GRAD MRLS units.
• Attached artillery includes some of the famous Cuban “Franken-T-34s”. These are old T-34 tanks that have been converted into self-propelled carriers for a variety of artillery systems. These include:
  • AAP-T-122, which is a T-34 sporting a D-30 122mm gun.
  • AAP-T-130, a T-34 sporting a M-46 130mm gun.
  • BMD-20, which is a venerable 4-shot 200 MLRS.

TANK

• Pretty good all things considered, though the Cuban battlegroup is not as hard-hitting as some regular NATO or Warsaw Pact armored divisions.
• Cuban tanks are:
  • T-62K Obr. 63, T-62 Obr. 67 and T-62 Obr. 72.
  • The ancient T-34/85 forming the third company (again made up of reservists in wartime). Just like the infantry RESERVISTAS squads, they don't get the Reservist trait, but they are Veterancy-locked.
  • Cuban tank destroyers consist of BRDM-2 MALYUTKA-P and T-12 100mm towed guns.

• And finally, one card of T-62M of the local Soviet Brigade will also deploy to aid their Cuban allies.

REC

• Rather average. Units organic to the armored division are:
  • CBE-14,5mm (which is a BRDM-2).
  • PT-76B.
  • Plus a 4-man RECONOCIMIENTO recon team with 3x AKM, 1x SVD, and RPG-7VM, coming in either GAZ-69 jeeps or the Mi-4 helicopter.
  • And the 8-man RECO. PELOTÓN recon squad with 6x AKM, 2x PKM, and RPG-18, deploying in GAZ-53 jeeps and either unarmed or armed Mi-8.

• Attached units from other formations include a recon Mi-2 helicopter and the ECHO-2 SIGINT truck.
  
• While the recon special forces from the Avispas Negras (“Black Wasps”) commandos are represented with two units:
  • AVISPAS NEGRAS, which is a 6-man special force recon squad with 3x AKMS, 1x RPK, Strela-2M, and RPG-7VL. They receive the Special Forces, Shock, and Airborne traits.
  • The fast-attack UAZ-469 AVISPAS NEGRAS, a recon vehicle bristling with weapons, including PKM, AGS-17, and SPG-9, deploying with the Special Forces trait.

AA

• Pretty good for the 1a División de Tanques, having access to a bit of many different anti-air things, usually available in a single card each.
• This includes the C-1 (which is a BRDM-2 STRELA-1), C-10 (the MT-LB STRELA-10), OSA-M, CHILKA, the STRELA-2M, and the ZSU-23-2 23mm.
• There is more: you’ll also get to deploy the M-53 30mm (Czechoslovakian PLDvK vz. 53 30mm), and the new BTR-60-30-2 which uses the same Czechoslovakian double-barreled 30mm AA but mounted on a BTR-60 chassis.
• From the attached artillery division, the AAP-MP-100 can be deployed, which is a heavy KS-19 AA gun mounted on top of a T-34 chassis.
• And the Soviets bring their own anti-air defenses in the form of BIRYUSA and KUBASHY IGLA.

HEL

• Rather mediocre with only a handful of cards and a few open slots.
• Helicopters that can be deployed are the Mi-25, which is a Cuban designation for the Hind, featuring the same loadout as the Polish Mi-24D [AT].
• And the Mi-35, the Cuban designation for Hind, and the same loadout as Polish Mi-24W.

AIR

• Pretty good, with the Cubans relying on three different aircraft for their air superiority and strike missions.
• The MiG-21F-13 which is an older MiG-21 variant, with very light loadout but very agile. This one will come featured in cheap AA, RKT, and CLU payloads.
• The MiG-23BN bombers in AT, CLU, and HE roles.
• The MiG-29 fighter.

The 1a División de Tanques might not be equipped with most of the state-of-the-art communist equipment, but it does get access to some rather unique weaponry. The division is balanced across all its arms, specifically infantry and anti-air, making it, in reality, lean more toward a mechanized division than a full-fledged armored division.

WARNO - Tropic Storm in Brief

WARNO - Tropic Storm will give you access to 6 new divisions from this brand-new theater of operations, including 4 new nations, and a host of new units, models, weapons, new terrain sets and maps, and more. And equally important: it will contain 1 new Army General campaign. More details will come in the coming weeks.

Check out all the previews for WARNO - Tropic Storm divisions below:

• First up is the Western-aligned U.S. 4th Marine Division earmarked for the Cuban invasion. Check out all the details in this preview here.

Until Next Time

That’s all. We’ll have a short break in our WARNO - Tropic Storm previews next week, but we’ll return soon after with another new division!

Don’t forget to check out the ever-awesome WARNO community. Find the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commanders.