Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Intelligence assessment, dated January 1985, examines how Warsaw Pact air forces would support large strategic operations in Central Europe. It concludes that the Soviets see NATO air power as the greatest threat to a Pact ground offensive. They revised their air supremacy plans in 1980 and 1981 to use sector-concentrated raids and a defensive air operation. The assessment also finds that heavy aircraft losses and limited deep attack capability would remain serious problems. The document has no UFO content.
Figure 7 (continued) Typical Fighter-Interceptor Distribution a Regional Sector National Air Defense (NAD) Tactical Fighters Total Interceptors First Air Defense Echelon- Pulish-GDR front ____90 I Ib 200 GSFG-GDR front 190 315 ' 505 Czechoslovak-CGF front 110 __200b 310 Subtotal 390 625 1.015 Second Air Defense Echelon (unreinforced) orthwesternpPolish_ND s I ll -- 245 Southwestern Polish NAD Corps 110 25 235 Eastern Polish NAD Corps 70 - - Eastern Czechoslovak NAD Corps 45 0 45 Subtotal 335 260 595-- --- --- --- - -- -- 5 Totul725 __ - - 885 1,610 Possible AIr Defense Reinforcements Belorussian front 0 135b e 135 Carpathian front -- 0 125 6t 125 Baltic front 0 - ------ Western Military District fighters 0 to 70 0 to 70 Subtotal -0 to 70 370 385 to 560 Total 725 to 795 1,235 1,980 to 2,050 * We assume a three-front force disposition and reinforcement by initially to the SW Polish NAD Corps sector, and the Carpathianthe Vinnitsa SAA. Aircraft strengths have not been reduced to air units have first moved into both that sector and the Easternaccount for likely operational readiness rates or prior attrition. Czechoslovak NAD division sector. Baltic air units would probablyThis number could be augmented by fighter-bombers if necessary. initially rebase to the NW Polish NAD Corps sector.If the fighters of the Legnica SAA use their peacetime basesin r The second air defense echelon of the Western TMO could bewar, they would come under the operational control of the NW reinforced by some of the Soviet fighter units remaining in thePolish NAD Corps when participatir. in air defense operations. Baltic, Belorussian, and Carpathian MDs. We estimate that asThe fighters of the Vinnitsa SAA arc depicted in the SW Polish many as two of the remaining five fighter regiments probably wouldNAD Corps sector but could be based in the Eastern Czechoslovak be deployed forward into the Western TMO.sector, d We do not know the intended wartime fighter composition of the Belorussian, Carpathian, and Baltic frontsbut we_wsimale each is likely to have three regiments these units would probably rebase t cc-uurmrg-te- orwar movement of their fronts. The Belorussian air units have typically rebased 21 . '.S"cret
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 95 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.