Soviet deployment of missiles in Cuba Cuban Missile Crisis

more 100 us-built missiles having capability strike moscow nuclear warheads deployed in italy , turkey in 1961.

khrushchev reacting in part nuclear threat of obsolescent jupiter intermediate-range ballistic missiles had been installed in turkey in april 1962.

in 1962, group of soviet military , missile construction specialists accompanied agricultural delegation havana. obtained meeting cuban leader fidel castro. cuban leadership had strong expectation invade cuba again , enthusiastically approved idea of installing nuclear missiles in cuba. however, according source, castro objected missiles deployment have made him soviet puppet, persuaded missiles in cuba irritant , interests of entire socialist camp. also, deployment include short-range tactical weapons (with range of 40 km, usable against naval vessels) provide nuclear umbrella attacks upon island.

by may, khrushchev , castro agreed place strategic nuclear missiles secretly in cuba. castro, khrushchev felt invasion of cuba imminent , lose cuba great harm communists, in latin america. said wanted confront americans more words.... logical answer missiles. soviets maintained tight secrecy, writing plans longhand, approved rodion malinovsky on july 4 , khrushchev on july 7.

from beginning, soviets operation entailed elaborate denial , deception, known maskirovka . planning , preparation transporting , deploying missiles carried out in utmost secrecy, few told exact nature of mission. troops detailed mission given misdirection being told headed cold region , being outfitted ski boots, fleece-lined parkas, , other winter equipment. soviet codename operation anadyr. anadyr river flows bering sea, , anadyr capital of chukotsky district , bomber base in far eastern region. measures meant conceal program both internal , external audiences.

specialists in missile construction under guise of machine operators, irrigation specialists, , agricultural specialists arrived in july. total of 43,000 foreign troops brought in. marshal sergei biryuzov, chief of soviet rocket forces, led survey team visited cuba. told khrushchev missiles concealed , camouflaged palm trees.

the cuban leadership further upset when in september, congress approved joint resolution 230, expressed congress s resolve prevent creation of externally-supported military establishment. on same day, announced major military exercise in caribbean, phibriglex-62, cuba denounced deliberate provocation , proof planned invade cuba.

the soviet leadership believed, based on perception of kennedy s lack of confidence during bay of pigs invasion, avoid confrontation , accept missiles fait accompli. on september 11, soviet union publicly warned attack on cuba or on soviet ships carrying supplies island mean war. soviets continued maskirovka program conceal actions in cuba. repeatedly denied weapons being brought cuba offensive in nature. on september 7, soviet ambassador united states anatoly dobrynin assured united states ambassador united nations adlai stevenson soviet union supplying defensive weapons cuba. on september 11, telegrafnoe agentstvo sovetskogo soyuza (soviet news agency tass) announced soviet union had no need or intention introduce offensive nuclear missiles cuba. on october 13, dobrynin questioned former undersecretary of state chester bowles whether soviets planned put offensive weapons in cuba. denied such plans. on october 17, soviet embassy official georgy bolshakov brought president kennedy personal message khrushchev reassuring him under no circumstances surface-to-surface missiles sent cuba.

as august 1962, suspected soviets of building missile facilities in cuba. during month, intelligence services gathered information sightings ground observers of russian-built mig-21 fighters , il-28 light bombers. u-2 spyplanes found s-75 dvina (nato designation sa-2) surface-to-air missile sites @ 8 different locations. cia director john a. mccone suspicious. sending antiaircraft missiles cuba, reasoned, made sense if moscow intended use them shield base ballistic missiles aimed @ united states. on august 10, wrote memo kennedy in guessed soviets preparing introduce ballistic missiles cuba.

with important congressional elections scheduled november, crisis became enmeshed in american politics. on august 31, senator kenneth keating (r-new york), received information cuban exiles in florida, warned on senate floor soviet union may constructing missile base in cuba. charged kennedy administration of covering major threat us. air force general curtis lemay presented pre-invasion bombing plan kennedy in september, , spy flights , minor military harassment forces @ guantanamo bay naval base subject of continual cuban diplomatic complaints government.

map created american intelligence showing surface-to-air missile activity in cuba, 5 september 1962

the first consignment of r-12 missiles arrived on night of september 8, followed second on september 16. r-12 medium-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying thermonuclear warhead. single-stage, road-transportable, surface-launched, storable liquid propellant fueled missile deliver megaton-class nuclear weapon. soviets building 9 sites — 6 r-12 medium-range missiles (nato designation ss-4 sandal) effective range of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) , 3 r-14 intermediate-range ballistic missiles (nato designation ss-5 skean) maximum range of 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi).

on october 7, cuban president osvaldo dorticós torrado spoke @ un general assembly: if... attacked, defend ourselves. repeat, have sufficient means defend ourselves; have indeed our inevitable weapons, weapons, have preferred not acquire, , not wish employ.