The Eastern Army conducted air defense exercises in Holguín on November 4 and 5 as part of the Moncada 2026 Strategic Exercise, simulating enemy air incursions and search and rescue operations for downed pilots.
According to the official newspaper ¡Ahora!, the maneuvers were conducted in two stages. The first focused on enhancing the training and cohesion of the leadership and command structures, while the second tested the troops' ability to repel air attacks against targets of economic, political, and military significance.
During the operational day, "a large air defense unit from the Holguín Military Region" practiced the detection and tracking of aircraft from a command post, as well as the movement of forces and resources to firing positions to confront simulated incursions, it was reported.
The division general Eugenio Armando Rabilero Aguilera, head of the Eastern Army, led the activities of the first stage. Meanwhile, the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Joel Queipo Ruiz, presented the planned actions for both phases, with an emphasis on the threats considered in a Non-Conventional Warfare scenario.
The first colonel Luis de la Cruz Medina, head of the Holguín Military Region, reported on the tasks assigned to the armed component to refine its response to what the military authorities described as "the probable nature of the enemy's actions."
The lieutenant colonel Alexander Rodríguez Hernández, head of the political section of the anti-air unit, emphasized the involvement of young soldiers and the transfer of knowledge between generations of military personnel. "The youth of today also rise to the occasion when it comes to defending the Revolution," he stated.
The exercise is part of the military doctrine of the "War of All the People," conceived as a strategy of resistance against potential external aggression, and it unfolds in a context of increased tensions between Havana and Washington.
The regime declared 2026 as the Year of Preparation for Defense and has conducted training throughout the year that includes shooting exercises, ambushes, evacuations, and the use of drones.
Military rhetoric has also escalated. The Army Corps General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, head of the General Staff, declared during the preparation activities that Cuban forces would defend "house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood, area by area" in the event of a possible attempt by the United States to seize the island.
The maneuvers occur as Cuba faces an economic and energy crisis, with prolonged blackouts and challenges in ensuring the supply of food and medicine. At the same time, the country maintains a Soviet-origin military equipment and a limited combat aviation capability, according to estimates cited in previous reports.
This Friday marks the National Defense Day, an event that officially concludes the Moncada 2026 Strategic Exercise and has been presented by the Communist Party as a priority.
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