TNAG-0538-FCO40-633-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 97

CONFIDENTIAL

3RD DRAFT

3. In addition, the Warsaw Pact faces the Alliance with a

marked superiority in manpower and conventional weapons. In

Central Europe the disparities are over 2 to 1 in tanks, over

2 to 1 in divisions and in aircraft, and about 2 to 1 in field

guns. Overall, the Warsaw Pact has about 20 per cent more soldiers

and some 30 to 40 per cent more in fighting units. On

northern flanks the disparities are even greater.

NATO'S

1. The disparities quoted for Central Europe do not take account

of forces stationed in the Soviet Union itself. In a time of

tension the Soviet forces stationed in Poland, Czechoslovakia

and the German Democratic Republic would be rapidly reinforced

by substantial air and ground formations currently held in the

western USSR; and the present imbalance of forces in Central

Europe would be increased.

5. Nor can numerical comparisons alone give a wholly adequate

picture. The Warsaw Pact has geographical advantages and in the

main has standardised equipment. It is making rapid progress in

modernising and re-equipping its forces and in reducing such

advantages in quality as NATO still possesses. Over the last five

years the Soviet Union has improved and increased the capability of

its forces to a much greater extent than in any previous five year

II-2

CONFIDENT I AL