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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 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, in particular with the
blogically.
introduction of large numbers of technologically -advanced
multi-role aircraft.
The MIG 25 FOXBAT all-weather
interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft for instance is capable of
Mach 3 at altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet. This aircraft
and the new MIG 23 FLOGGER ground attack fighter are already deployed
on airfields in East Germany, while the introduction is imminent of the new
FENCER multi-role aircraft and the BACKFIRE medium bomber, both
The Soviet Air Force is continually
of which are supersonic.
improving its ability to penetrate Western defences through the
extensive use of electronic warfare to jam radars and communications.
The Soviet Air Forces in Europe are less vulnerable than those of NATO because they are dispersed over more airfields and across a wider area.
Their vulnerability on the ground has been further reduced by the
construction of large numbers of aircraft shelters.
8.
Soviet expenditure on defence for 1975 is officially stated to be 17,430 million roubles, which is a reduction on the compara- ble figure for 1974.
This is difficult to reconcile with the facts described above. In fact, substantial additional expenditure for defence purposes, in particular for military research and development, is carried on other Soviet budgets. I forty Je 1959 DECELnt, tetal Soviet defense spending for 1975 will be over ར་བམ་པ་པ་ག
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