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
T O&SEGRET The Foxbat would be particularly effec- tive in delivering nuclear weapons to targets in the enemy rear. Its ability ta in ah with internal weapons at high altitude would enable it to penetrate NATO air defenses. A reconnaissance version of the Foxbat probably would perform its reconnaissance flights at altitudes as high as 70,000 feet at speeds of about Mach 3.0. For this mission systems for electronic. countermeasures probably will replace armament. A version of the SU-7 Fitter with variable geometry (VG) wings, the Fitter B, also is being tested in the USSR. This aircraft is be- lieved to be purely experimental, and it is not ex- pected to enter operational service. However, wing modification, together with some modifications which have been detected on the wing-control surfaces, pro- vides certain advantages which could possibly lead to some deployment of the aircraft. The Fitter B would have the basic attack capabilities'of the standard SU-7, while being able to operate from shorter run- ways. It would also have a.greater combat.radius, and could remain on station longer for "on call" ground support missions, and the Soviets might elect to replace the MIG-17's remaining in ground attack regiments with Fitter B's. b. Force Trends Through Mid-1968 Soviet emphasis on mobility and flexi- bility will continue to influence the deployment of new aircraft in the early 1970's. These concepts are reflected in the current testing of VG aircraft and aircraft equipped for vertical or short take-off and landing (V/STOL). The extensive Soviet testing in this field clearly indicates an intention to deploy such aircraft operationally. Nearly all of these developmental aircraft entered testing within the last two years, however, and none is expected in ser- vice until after 1971. The.most promising design is the. Flogger, a relatively light single-jet VG fighter. This aircraft performed its initial flight in mid-1967, - 71 - TOP EGRET
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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.