The Cuban military has apparently made storage into a bit of an art, going so far as to encapsulate unneeded equipment in nitrogen-filled plastic bags, which are then stored in underground facilities. Five years is considered the minimum storage life for this method, after which the equipment is reopened and checked for any deterioration. If the Cubans are to be believed, the technique has proved to be quite successful. However, since much of the equipment has now been in storage for a good decade and a half, returning the equipment to service, the aircraft in particular, becomes less and less viable. We have accordingly adjusted our aircraft numbers to what we believe are realistic levels for what remains active.
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