Black Wasp (Cuban Special Forces)

"Black Wasps" is the name of the elite forces of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR). Their training turns out to be very specific so that they can face a possible offensive to the island. They were officially created at the end of the 80's of the 20th century, but a previous decade, there were already special mission units that acted as part of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), called "Tigers" and "Lions" in Angola, so it is considered that it was in 1977, when the MINFAR decided to have its own special forces, after relying on the special troops of the Ministry of Interior, MININT in the Battle of Quifangondo, Angola, in late 1975.

This article is about Special Forces of Cuba. For the actual wasp species, see Sphex pensylvanicus.

Training and structure

The "Black Wasps" work in sub-groups consisting of 5 members, which can be male or female.

Its main bases are in the old military prison "El Pitirre", located at Km 8 of the National Highway, and in the unit of "Baracoa Beach", near the area of El Mariel port, current province of Havana, and With smaller units in "El Bosque de la Habana", this is where the MINFAR Special Troops Department and "El Reloj Club" are located, the latter near the Rancho Boyeros airport. Its main training camp is called "El Cacho", in the province of Pinar del Río, also named "Academia Baraguá". His training is highly rigorous. Upon graduation, soldiers and professional officers of this force perform exercises in the Ciénaga de Zapata, south of Matanzas province, near to Bay of Pigs, or in the swamps south of the Isle of Pines, huge wetlands located both west of Cuba, under strict survival conditions. Approving these exercises means graduating.

The "Black Wasps" have received training from Vietnamese, North Korean, Chinese, as well as Russian VDVs and Spetsnaz, they learned to communicate and move silently through narrow tunnels.

The official clothing consisted of a camouflage suit, with a red beret, which as of 2011, became a green beret, leaving the red beret only for the Prevention Troops (Military Police) and the shield of a black wasp with the sting ready to attack, in a bracelet. In the case of the professional members, an indicative of "Professional" is added on the bracelet.

These troops are also experts in masking techniques, use of jungle environments to set deadly traps and various martial arts.

Armament

The armament is very varied and is largely the same as the rest of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR), although in recent years they have been seen (in military parades since the FAR has a jealous secrecy about its technology) new weapons that include nationally manufactured weapons and old modernized Soviet weapons with accessories such as, Vilma optical sight glasses and mufflers, as well as anti-material rifles of which their characteristics are kept secret.

  • AKMS (nationally manufactured with polymer cylinder head and guard instead of wood and bakelite loader)
  • AKMSB (as the letter "B" indicates this version is the same as the AKMS, but it has a silencer and the Cuban-made red-dot sight "Vilma")
  • AKML
  • AKS-74U[1]
  • MP5[2]
  • AMD-65 (Hungarian assault rifle based on the AK-47, with folding stock and used by paratroopers)
  • SVD Dragunov
  • PKM machine gun
  • RPK light machine gun
  • Mambí (14.5 mm anti-helicopter rifle, designed and manufactured in Cuba)
  • Alejandro (bolt sniper gun used by territorial militia troops, MTT, snipers and wasps)
  • RPG-7V (anti-tank rocket launcher)
  • RGD-5 (anti-personnel hand grenade)
  • RKG-3 (anti-tank hand grenade)
  • 9K38 Igla (portable anti-aircraft launcher)
  • PM Makarov (Russian-designed personal use gun, manufactured under license in Cuba)
  • Stechkin APS, 9 x 18 Makarov (machine gun with 20 bullet magazine)
  • 9 x 18 Makarov pistol, version with silencer of the Stechkin APS (this weapon can also be classified as a submachine gun)
  • CZ 75, 9 mm.

In addition to western armament, another of national manufacture of which details and secondary equipment such as 60 mm, 120 mm mortars and demolition loads are not known.

Vehicles

The "Black Wasps" have a series of vehicles of different types to make this force as mobile as possible in case of an attack on the island, among which are:

  • Fiero: highly mobile and well-armed all-terrain vehicle with AGS-17 grenade launcher on the roof and a PKM machine gun.
  • Iguana: a kind of Cuban Hummer, armed with a 12.7 mm NSV machine gun on the roof. The name of Iguana is unofficial, since data on this vehicle is very scarce and its exact name is unknown.
  • UAZ: is the all-terrain standard of the FAR. The Black Wasps have different versions of this vehicle, including a very well armed with a PKM machine gun, an ASG-17 grenade launcher and a SPG-9 recoilless cannon.
  • BRDM2: they are used by the Black Wasps exploration bodies and have the standard armament such as the PKT machine gun and the KVPT heavy machine gun.
  • BTR-60: Also used with scan bodies in small quantities.

References
  1. "Unidad de Destino Especial Cuba 2018 Entrenamiento-3" (in Spanish). Youtube. 14 January 2019.
  2. "Cuban Special Forces - MININT and Black Wasps". Youtube. 5 July 2012.
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