Warsaw Pact Forces opposite NATO, NIE 11-14-79, Volume II, the Estimate, CIA/NFAC, 31 January 1979

This is Volume II of National Intelligence Estimate 11-14-79, Warsaw Pact Forces Opposite NATO, issued by the Director of Central Intelligence and dated January 1979. The National Foreign Intelligence Board concurred with it. It was the first comprehensive estimate of Pact forces facing NATO since 1971. It covers Pact doctrine, the ground, air, naval, nuclear and chemical forces, command and control, and campaign plans for war in Europe. It judges that Central Europe would be the decisive arena, and it lists Pact weaknesses in pilot training and antisubmarine warfare. The document contains no UFO material.

Principal Warsaw Pact Medium Tanks Figure 1-2
T-72 T-64 T-62 T-54/55
U________- - _ - t.- ----
Main armament 125-mm smoothbore gun 125-mm smoothbore gun 115-mm smoothbore gun 100-mm rifled gun
Onboard ammunition 40 40 40 34/43
o (rounds)
Weight (metric tons) 41 38 37 36
Speed (km/h) 60+ 60+ 50 50
Cruising range (km)
Without auxiliary tanks 500 500 450 400/500
With auxiliary tanks 650 650 650 600/715
Length/height (m) 6.9/2.3 6.3/2.3 6.6/2.4 6.2/2.3
Year operational - 1974 1968 1961 1949/58
Secret
5790 1.3 a en