Documents / FOIA release
This is an October 1968 contribution by the Central Intelligence Agency's Office of Strategic Research to National Intelligence Estimate 11-14-68 on Soviet and East European general purpose forces. It covers Warsaw Pact war plans for Central Europe, the effects of the Czechoslovak crisis, and the doubling of Soviet forces on the Chinese border since 1965. It also assesses ground, tactical air, naval and coastal defense forces. The text does not mention UFOs or unidentified aerial phenomena.
“Indian Air Force”2 pages
the need for improved means of aerial intelligence collection, such as television and side-looking radar. .. -The..art'ie -_also :.exesed.a.r d- :fs .. - - mission of data. Considerable discussion was devoted to the use of advanced reconnaissance aircraft to- gether with strike aircraft in search and destroy operations. The increased discussion of tactical strike operations has taken place at the same time that the YAK-28 light bomber has been phased out of production, and when deliveries of new fighter-bombers have decreased. sharply. This suggests that a new aircraft is under development to meet the Soviet re- quirement. The fact that obsolescent IL-28 bomb- ers remain in service with first-line units indicates that the Soviets continue to have a strike aircraft requirement that is not met by any of the current- generation aircraft. The vulnerability of the IL-28 creates a need for a. new aircraft in this role. In addition, the small payload of the YAK-28 becomes a significant weakness in view of the growing Soviet appreciation for nonnuclear contingencies. The Foxbat, a new twin-jet Mikoyan- designed aircraft, is the only aircraft known to be under development which has significant potential in a tactical strike role. All of the others being tested are inferior to the Foxbat in range or payload, or both. The others are also in a much earlier stage of development and could not become operational until 1971 at.the earliest. The Foxbat is believed to have been designed as a multipurpose combat aircraft. At the 1967 Moscow air show, where the Foxbat was first publicly displayed, the Soviet commentator described it as capable of performing as an interceptor, a strike aircraft, and a reconnaissance aircraft. The airframe is suitable for equipment with a wide variety of weapons and reconnaissance systems. With externally carried nuclear weapons, the Foxbat can cruise at speeds near Mach 3.0 at high altitudes, yet it retains the capabil- - 69 - TO1MERET
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 115 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.