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For some time before the actual missile crisis itself, Cuba was increasing its defenses. They had signed an agreement with Cuba, followed by a secret arms build up. From 1960 to 1962, secret arms deliveries on Russian ships arrived in Cuba. These deliveries would be carried out with the utmost care. The deliveries were usually done at night, and all the goods would be covered with black tarps or coverings. People were kept away from the ports when these ships would arrive and the soldiers working the docks were told to keep quiet about what was being delivered.
As well as arms being sent to Cuba, there were also Russian officers training Cuban soldiers for combat, and to use the weapons that were transported to the island. Also, Cubans were taken to Russia to train on soviet aircrafts. Shortly after these Cubans were being trained on soviet aircrafts, Soviet aircrafts were stationed in Cuba. Both light bombers and fighter aircrafts were being stationed as it appeared that the Cuban air force was going through a major upgrade in technology. .
Cuba continued to bolster its defenses in the months of July through September in 1962. The most worrying of these developments was the instillation of SA- 2 surface to air missiles (SAM). These missiles were capable of shooting down fighter aircrafts and also spy planes that the Americans had been using to take photographs of the island with. These SA-2's were also very expensive, and there were worries that these were being installed to keep spy planes from seeing the Russians and Cubans build missile silos. The Cuban air defense had become complete, with the fly over's of Russian built planes, with the coordination of Radar tactics taught to them by the Soviet Union. .
On October 15th, 1962, it was learned, through America spy plane photos, that medium range ballistic missile sites were being installed. The fears of many people had been justified, and President Kennedy called an emergency meeting of his high military, diplomatic, and political advisers.