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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. 25 …and subsidiary systems such as command and control, radioelectronic combat (REC), and reconnais- sance data link…
  • p. 31 …Some of these submarines might alternatively have missions of minelaying near NATO naval bases or patrolling…
  • p. 33 …The Soviet Union views control of its East Euro- preparerd for any mission, froni defending against…
  • p. 42 …The USSR attributes a littoral of Europe have significant capabilities in either broad range of missions…
  • p. 51 …Improved models of the radio-controlled The SA-9 and ZSU-23-4 are probably with…
  • p. 55 …All Pact countries have well-organized mobili- direct control of the VGK to tactical-level missions…
  • p. 58 …These have pervasive control over the soldier's activities and commanders are expected to be closely…
  • p. 59 …Frontal Aviation missions include counterair, ground attack, Warsaw Pact Fixed-Wing Tactical Aircraft reconnaissance, electronic warfare…
  • p. 62 …Pilot Training and Proficienc. 3Y US stand- facilities, hardening command and control facilities, and establishing pipeline…
  • p. 66 …control system which is designed to provide the coordination necessary to conduct close-in missions when…
  • p. 68 major ground formations is used by tactical controllers conventional weapons or to have an operational weap…
  • p. 71 …countries, are tailored primarily for control of guished by missions: antiship strike, reconnaissance those two seas…
  • p. 75 …missions of the Warsaw Pact's general purpose naval forces are to exercise sea control 110…
  • p. 84 …this mission. The combat radii of Soviet ASM-equipped naval Capabilities for Exercising Sea Control in…
  • p. 85 …signed missions; submarines would not neces-" The holders of the second view are the Director, Defense…
  • p. 87 …the Soviets, Poles, and East Germans other missions. Most bombers would be required for have the…
  • p. 118 …would be detached from national control. Re- - The Western TVD. This theater would include, sidual forces…
  • p. 122 …and control functions is central to Soviet control and integration of Pact military operations. Such groups…
  • p. 134 …against HEAT ammunition, the Soviets have incorpo- control and combat support communication links. rated composite or…
  • p. 135 …The Air Operation have been ascertained from classified missions assigned to the NSWP forces are intended…
  • p. 141 …Pact air forces to perform their primary missions in poor flying weather. ould be the preferred…
  • p. 143 …Others believe that no judgment with flying combat missions at low altitudes or over long any…
  • p. 158 …The establishment of control of the Norwegian drastically the likelihood of a major, preemptive at- and…
  • p. 163 …aircraft carrier probably would be unable secondary mission of antiship attack. The Kiev prob- to cope…
  • p. 175 …be building a mand and control and electronic warfare missions. force capable of siniultaneously lifting much…
  • p. 176 …The Pact's early warning network is scheduled current roles of sea control in limited areas…
  • p. 178 …We do not know how the Soviets assess the achieving sea control and in providing support…
  • p. 182 …subma- to control Pact forces once they are released from rines with peripheral missions declines, some…
  • p. 186 …Soviet sea control capabilities gravity to require an early Soviet counteraction. The against US carrier and…
Top
defenses and attacking targets in the open ocean than aircraft, which improve their overall capabilities
does the Badger. Also, it is far more capable than the against NATO naval surface forces. There is insuffi-
Badger of crossing potentially hostile land areas, such cient evidence to judge how the Soviets would use
as Turkey and Greece, and operating over the either of these aircraft against ships at sea or how
Mediterranean. effective they might be in wartime. Most Forger
training thus far has been of the kind useful for attacks
121. In the antiship role, wartime operational con- against ships at sea. The Fitters, however, all of which
siderations probably would tend to dictate the use of are hased in the Baltic, are probably intended for
Backfires for strikes against important NATO warships ground attack in support of amphibious operations and
in certain key areas. These areas would include the antiship attacks.
North Atlantic at least as far south as the Greenland-
Iceland-United Kingdom (G-l-UK) gap, the North 123. The three Soviet western fleets have 14 princi-
Sea, and the Mediterranean. The operational con- pal surface combatant ships armed with antiship
straints tending to limit the use of Backfires include cruise missiles. (See figure II-23.) Six of these ships
mission planning allowances for combat maneuvering' have long-range (160 to 300 nm, or 300 to 555 km)
and requirements for routing around and penetrating missiles, including the Kiev aircraft carrier, with an
NATO air defenses. Aerial refueling could add flexi- estimated 24 SS-N-12s; two Kynda cruisers, with 16
bility for the employment of Backfires, however. SS-N-3b's each; and three Kresta-I cruisers, with four
122. The Soviet naval air forces opposite NATO SS-N-3b's each. To fire these missiles accurately to
have in the past few years added some 40 shore-based their maximum range requires that these ships obtain
SU-17 Fitter C/D and some 35 carrier-based YAK-36 external targeting support. For this purpose, the Kiev
Forger V/STOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) and the Kresta-Is carry reconnaissance helicopters and,
Nominal Flight Profiles of Soviet Air-Launched Cruise Missiles Figure II-22b
Altitude (m)
25,000
AS 4 AS ,6
20,000 A 3
15,000
10,000
5,000 -S 5
AS--
650 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
Range (km) Target
Sec
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- 11-37
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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.