OSR Contribution to NIE 11-14-68, Soviet and East European General Purpose Forces, CIA/DI/OSR, October 1968.

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4. Concepts Underlying Current Force
The size, composition, and capabilities
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ization and re-equipment programs begun in the 1959-
1961 period. The force was reduced during this time
to its present size from a level of about 7,500 air-
craft and the new-generation aircraft--MIG-21 fighters,
SU-7 fighter-bombers, and YAK-28 light bombers--began
to enter service.
The reorganization and re-equipment pro-
grams reflected the new Soviet military doctrine. The
advent of nuclear weapons eliminated the.need for large
formations of bombers to destroy a target. In addition,
it was felt that many of the tasks traditionally assigned
to aircraft could be handled more effectively and econom-
ically by the surface-to-surface missile systems then be-
coming operational. These developments. led to changes in
the relative importance attached to the tasks of tactical
aviation.
The role most affected by the changing Soviet
concepts was that of the "front bomber," or tactical
strike aircraft. The tactical missile forces took on
much of the responsibility for interdiction and strikes
against fixed targets. The primary mission remaining
for the TAF bomber is to carry out strikes against mobile
targets in the enemy rear.
Special emphasis is given to the destruction
of enemy means of. nuclear attack. The number of tac-
tical aircraft needed for this function has been re-
duced, however, by the increased availability of medium
bombers for this purpose. Since the reorganization of
tactical aviation in 1959-1961, the Long Range Aviation
(LRA) medium bomber force has become increasingly ori-
ented to Eurasian operations. Although LRA is consid-
ered to be primarily a strategic attack force, many of
the missions performed by LRA medium bombers would di-
rectly support Front.operations. These aircraft could
conduct reconnaissance missions throughout the areas
of interest to the Front and could attack with nuclear,
chemical, or conventional weapons. For targets in the
immediate battlefield area, fighter-bomber aircraft have
been given an increasingly important role, particularly
since the development of tactical nuclear weapons small
enough to be carried on the aircraft.
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