CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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, although the parallel withdrawal
of some obsolete fighters and bombers means that a simple comparison
of numerical strengths does not reflect the greatly enhanced
capability of the technologically advanced multi-role aircraft now
being introduced in large numbers. The MTG 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 of a new multi-
role aircraft (FENCER) and a medium bomber (BACKFIRE), both of which
are supersonic, is imminent. The Soviet Air Force is continually
improving its ability to penetrate Western defences through the
extensive use of electronic warfare to jam radars and communications.
The vulnerability of Soviet Air Forces (reduced through the availability of many more airfields than can be used effectively by NATO) has been
further reduced with the construction of large numbers of shelters
to protect 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. In fact, substantial additional expenditure for defence purposes, in particular for military research and development, is carried on other Soviet budgets. If this is taken into account, total Soviet defence spending for 1975 will be over
30,000 million roubles and in real terms will show an increase of about
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CONEIDEN ΑΤΙΙΑΙ.