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

Additional E-ciass units are
deployed on a continuing basis to p'atrol stations
along carrier transit routes in midocean and Soviet
naval TU-95 Bear D aircraft perform frequent recon-
naissance missions against transiting attack carriers
in midocean.
As the carrier task groups or sur-
face combatants near Soviet home waters, reconnais-
sance missions are performed by. naval Badger jet
bombers. These sorties are followed by simulated
strike missions by ASM-carrying naval bomber aircraft
and by simulated cruise-missile attacks from E-class
submarines.
The final strike phase against sur-
face task forces would be undertaken by J-class
diesel-powered cruise-missile submarines and by
missile-equipped cruisers of the Kynda and Kresta
classes. The E- and J-class submarines as well as
the Kynda- and Kresta-class cruisers are all equipped
with the SS-N-3 cruise missile, which has an effective
range of about 250 nm.
Submarines and fast patrol craft
could also be employed to fire torpedoes and missiles
as the surface force approached closer to Soviet
home bases. The last line of defense would be the
coastal defense missile installations.
(1) Air Forces
The reconnaissance capabilities
of the SNAF have improved considerably during the
past few years. The most important change has been
the deployment of two regiments of TU-95 Bears,
while medium bomber reconnaissance elements also
have been strengthened. The TU-95's of the Northern
and Pacific fleets provide a good capability for long-
range reconnaissance in both the Atlantic and Pacific.
Formerly, missions beyond the range of the SNAF's
medium bombers required the support of LRA's heavy
bombers.
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