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

Central Intelligence Agency · 201 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

  • p. 114 …recently halted Soviet air operations from Conakry. These developments will obviously force the 257. Many officers…
  • p. 115 …order to keep other in establishing effective air cover over supporting lines units operational. of communication…
  • p. 185 …The Soviets could elect to provide combat forces scale commitment of manpower and materiel which to…
  • p. 187 …This force is occasionally aug- forces could not be safely transported by sea or air to…
  • p. 188 …a war, but they couldsome naval and air force weapons (including a few recently introduced Flogger…
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90. A new medium-range air-to-air missile, the ent tactical air-to-surface missiles (TASMs) have also
AA-7 Apex, evidently is being fielded in both infrared been developed in recent years. One of these, the AS-7
seeking and semiactive versions. (See figure 11-16.) The Kerry, was developed some years ago as a short-range,
missile probably has a limited shootdown capability to beam-riding missile for use on earlier model MIG-21s.
match the limited lookdown, search-and-track features We have evidence, however, that the Fitter C and
of the airborne intercept radar on the Flogger B. In Flogger D are also capable of using a command-
addition, a new short-range, infrared-seeking air-to-air guided variant of the Kerry missile. The other two
missile, the AA-8 Aphid, is in service. This missile is TASMs, the AS-9 and AS-10, are completely new
smaller than earlier missiles, probably is more maneu- missiles. The AS-9 is an antiradiation missile with an
verable, and is estimated to have a launch range of estimated maximum range of 60 nm (10 km). The AS-
0.25 to 5 nautical miles (about 450 to 9,000 meters). 10 is a semiactive laser-guided missile with a maxi-
The Soviets also have fielded the AA-2d (Atoll D), an mum range of approximately 6 nm (11 kin).
infrared homing air-to-air missile which may have an 92. The Soviets have made some advances in
irnproved infrared seeker, improved motors, and possi- streamlining their bomb shapes, and in developing
bly better maneuverability. Both the AA-8 and AA-2d retardation devices which allow ordnance to be deliv-
ered in high-speed, low-level flight. A runway-crater-
91. All Pact ground attack aircraft can carry a wide ing bomb was issued in 1974 and is probably able to
range of ground attack weapons, including pods of penetrate about half a meter of reinforced concrete in
57-mm rockets, large unguided rockets, conventional low-altitude delivery. The standard Soviet 250-kg
bombs of up to 500 kilograms, and cluster weapons. In fragmentation bomb has been modified with a tele-
addition, many carry guns and cannons. Three differ- scoping fuse to increase shrapnel effect. The Soviets
Selected Warsaw Pact Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface Missiles Figure Il-16
for Tactical Aircraft
Year operational Guidance Range (nm) Carrier aircraft
Atoll AAM
AA-2b 1960 Infrared 3-4 Fishbed, Flogger B/C/E
AA-2c 1970 Semiactive radar 3-4 Fishbed J/K/L/N, Flogger E
AA-2d 1973 Infrared 4-6 Fishbed L/N, Flogger B
Apex AAM
AA-7a 1974 Semiactive radar 10 Flogger B
AA-7b 1974 Infrared 10 Flogger B
Aphid AAM
AA-8 1975 Infrared 2-3 Fishbed L/N, Flogger B
AS-7 Kerry TASM 1971 Command or 6 Fishbed F, Fitter C/D
beam rider Flogger B/D, Fencer A
AS-9 TASM 1975 Antiradiation homing 27-30 Fitter C/D, Fencer A
AS-10 TASM 1976 Semiactive laser 6-8 Fitter C/D ,Flogger D,
Fencer A
579021 . cu
11-26
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 201 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.