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continuing to shift, markedly in favour of the Warsaw Pact.
In the Eastern Atlantic Area, NATO's mainly British maritime
forces at immediate readiness for forward defence are already
heavily outnumbered. The Soviet Navy has expanded out of all
proportion to Soviet seaborne trade.
7.
Warsaw Pact air forces and missile systems have also been
improved over the last five years, although the parallel with-
drawal of some obsolete fighters and bombers means that a simple
comparison of numerical strengths does not reflect the introduction
of several hundred technologically more advanced aircraft with
multi-role capabilities, including nuclear delivery. The
MiG-25 FOXBAT all-weather interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft,
capable of mach 3, is being deployed in increasing numbers, and
deployment of a new supersonic medium bomber (BACKFIRE) is
imminent. Large numbers of aircraft shelters have been constructed
in recent years to protect these aircraft on the ground.
8.
Soviet expenditure on defence for 1975 is officially stated
to be 17,430 million roubles, which is represented as a reduction
on the figure for 1974. This is difficult to reconcile with the
facts described above and when substantial additional expenditure
for defence purposes, in particular for military research and
development, is carried on other Soviet budgets. In fact, total
Soviet defence spending for 1975 will be over 30,000 million
roubles and in real terms will show an increase of about 5 per
cent over 1974. The USSR is able to run such a large defence
effort only at the expense of a lower level of spending in other
sectors of the economy and a consequent lower general standard
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