Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency memorandum of 18 December 1961, sent to the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, encloses a verbatim translation of a Soviet article from the top secret 1960 first issue of the special collection of Military Thought. In the article, Colonel-General A. Gastilovich argues that nuclear missiles call for revising Soviet military doctrine. He favors short blitz operations, smaller ground forces and new rescue troops. It mentions "flying saucers" only as ground effect machines for army aviation.
“The Advance”5 pages
i." low firing rate conditioned by corplex preparations for lunching, for retargeting and for changing of firing positions. The pround troops as a whole must develop in a form transportable by sir. Perfection and introduction of lighter type tanhs (since any' armor is penetrable) suitable for transport by air is essential. The great importance which is attached to the ability of ground troops to taho ruined and contaminated zones and water barri es requires - significant development of engineering troops; however the most iportant mission of the engineering troops must not be fortificatin - in the existing meaning of this term, i.e., not the construction of positions and of antiatomic shelters but the rapid preparation of. missile launch sites, establishment of obstacles, road construction, and provisions for the surmounting of large water obstacles. - The air forces, it appears to ue, have not yet lost their significance to the degree that they should be ignored. Discussion should concern only the change in their role in warfare and, subse- quently, a change in their compoition and organization. Long-range aviation, armed with missiles of the' "air-ship" class, is (in conjunction with submarines) a good means of combat with '," mobile carriers of nuclear Weapons at sea and one that is difficult - to replace. In view of this, it is apparently advisable to include - . it in the composition of the navy. . t Front air forces (WSB) are also needed, though of a type other - than those now available. Certainly, front bomber aviation is departing the scene, since its missions can, to a significant degree, be carried out by missiles. Nevertheless, on the field of modern battle and engagements there will be mny important smell and mobile targets whose annihilation by missiles is still improbable. An air- craft of the fighter-bomber itype is needed which, on its own, could find the target and annihilate it; such an aircraft must be capable - .of great acceleration, permitting it to appear and depart rapidly - (this may be achieved with the aid of rocket boosters): at the . same time it must be capable of carrying out combat missions at relatively low speeds as well. An aircraft flying at a speed equal to Hach 1-2 (M-2M). is poorly suited to seek out small and mobile targets, even with the use of radar equipment. Fighter aviation within the composition of the WS of a front is essential, as a more maneuverable cccponent of the PVO, as long as aviation remains one of the principal carriers of nuclear weapons 4) ' t 1 - '.
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 23 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.