ALERT ONE - Versatility in the Air - MiG-21PFMA, R, and U in Cuba (Collection MiGs in Cuba)

Alert One – Versatility in the Air: MiG-21PFMA, R, and U in CubaThe arrival in 1966 of the second generation of the MiG-21 to Cuban skies marked a turning point in the history of Cuban military aviation. This volume delves into the PFMA, R, and U models—designed respectively for combat, reconnaissance, and training missions—which granted what was then Cuba’s most modern fighter aircraft an exceptional degree of versatility.The work helps dismantle long-standing myths about the versions employed in Cuba, many of which arose from the scarcity of documentary information. Thanks to exhaustive research, supported by the testimonial experiences of pilots, technicians, and navigators who worked directly with this aviation equipment, we are now able to present the true history of these MiG-21 variants within the Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria (FAR).The volume is enriched with previously unpublished photographs, technical diagrams, second-generation color schemes, and records of the pilot training courses conducted in the Soviet Union—elements that reveal how Cuban MiGs came to form one of the most powerful air forces in the region.This text, made available to those interested in the subject, serves as a necessary guiding thread for understanding the upward trajectory in the development of Cuban military aviation. More than a historical-technical study, it is an act of remembrance: every page is lived experience, every image a relic, every piece of data a recovery of memory. In those metal wings resides the story of a Caribbean nation that was already becoming a reference point in world military aviation. Read more